Nice discussion recently on the Facebook page “Growing Up in Rockdale, Texas” concerning three historic homes that have been moved out of our town.
Old-timers will remember them.
• The J.L. Lockett House, later referred to as the Sledge House, was located at the northwest corner of Bell and Ackerman, diagonally across from the post office. It was called by generations “the Gingerbread House” because of its architectural style and two-tone brown paint job.
When I was growing up, a Mrs. Sledge taught piano lessons there. There were stories of how fine—and strict—a teacher she was. When I was a kid a buddy who took lessons from her told me she’d rap his knuckles with a ruler if his hand position was sloppy.
• The J.W. Garner house was located on the corner of Cameron Avenue (US 79) and Scarbrough Street, next to Rockdale Memorials. It was right at the “jog” of the highway and faced east. If you were in the right-hand lane traveling west through town and you didn’t merge left, you’d run straight into the front steps and porch. To my knowledge, that never happened. The home belonged to longtime Rockdale attorney, “Judge” J.W. Garner. He also officed there.
• The third house was the home of Dr. T.S. Barkley. It had a carriage house and was located at Cameron (US 79) and Green Street. First Baptist Church was next door at Green and Bell.
So, where did these historic homes wind up?
Well, Judge Garner’s house was moved long ago to FM 486 just south of the FM 486-487 crossroads. The Garner house and about 54 acres recently sold, according to Bruce Holliman.
Penny Graves Redington, on the “Growing Up in Rock-dale, Texas” Facebook page, told about the others:
“I appreciate your interest in these wonderful remnants of Rockdale’s historic architecture and think I can add a few facts for clarification.
“The late Victorian Sledge-Lockett House (diagonal from the post office) was moved by Bud Adams and his daughter to their ranch near Waller.
“The early Victorian Lowenstein-Graves-Barkley House faced US 79, between First Baptist Church and the highway. It was built by Joseph Lowenstein, probably in the late 1870s. My great-grandfather, Fred A. Graves, purchased the house from the Lowenstein family before the turn of the century. It remained in our family until the death of my great aunt, Alice Graves Barkley, widow of Dr. Thomas Sessions Barkley.
“After using the house for Sunday school classes for a number of years, First Baptist Church announced plans to tear it down and make their church more visible from the highway. I purchased the house in 1988 and moved it, as well as its two-story carriage house, to our ranch in Lilac (between Sharp and Davilla on FM 487). Both the house and carriage house have been restored.”
And, Redington adds this in her post:
“While I join you in mourning Rockdale’s loss of architectural treasures, we must recognize that the city has never made an effort to preserve its resources by adopting the historic zoning ordinances and economic incentives that have made such a profound difference in cities like Brenham, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Waxahachie, Chappell Hill, Boerne and Fredericksburg. So much of value has been destroyed in Rockdale and I suppose the interest shown by Facebook groups like ‘Growing Up in Rockdale, Texas’ is a reflection of that sense of loss.”
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