When Houses Talk

We took time to go on the selfguided Talking House tour in Columbus, TX. This tour is of some of the historical homes and downtown buildings which date from the war with Mexico which secured Texas for the Union. In front of each building is a sign with a radio frequency displayed. You park and turn on your car radio to that frequency and receive a broadcast narrative of the history of that building. A very user friendly way to do a quick tour. Besides the homes featured on this tour, there are many other buildings of historic note in the town.

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One home dates from 1867. The first floor and basement were built before the Civil War. The second story was added later with the ornate balconies and railing. The historical societies have done a beautiful job of restoration and preservation of these fine buildings. Most of them now function as museums.

The tour includes a log cabin built by Abram Alley in 1836.

Mr. Alley had moved from Missouri to join his brothers in Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300" Colony. He married and settled nearby. When Sam Houston ordered the settlers to flee back to the United States to escape from Santa Anna during Texas war for independence, he went to their aid and returned later to find his home had been burned. He built this cabin of oak logs and raised his two daughters and three sons there.

We enjoyed seeing the Stafford Opera House, The largest flat floored Opera House in Texas, built in 1886. This building was designed with a first floor which included a bank, store, and attorney's offices. The second floor was designed for use as an opera hall. It is presently used for meetings and theatrical presentations.

Mr. Stafford, a wealthy cattleman built his large home next door to the Opera House. His bedroom was arranged so that he could lie in bed and watch the stage of the opera. Now that is planning ahead!

The Colorado County Courthouse, built in 1890-91 is still in use. Since I worked as a legal secretary, this structure was interesting to me. This beautiful building was constructed near the site where the first court proceedings were held under the shade of a huge oak tree. The stump of the oak still stands. The courthouse features a clock tower with a copper dome. The clock can be seen on both front and back of the tower. The original tower had been destroyed in a storm.

We met one of the friendly employees of the court and were invited in to see the stained glass on the inside of the dome. The stained glass dome was constructed to replace the orginal but they could not prevent it from leaking during rainstorms. Since the dome is in the main courtroom this situation was not good so they covered it with the copper dome on the exterior. This courthouse is quite ornate inside and out with beautiful woodwork in the interior.

In the hallway we saw the works of the clock. The clock mechanism has weights and cables to keep it running. It must be hand wound using a large handle. The chief judge, a former football player, winds the clock.

There were nine buildings on this tour each with its own interesting history. Columbus holds an open house with tours inside these buildings during their Magnolia Tour, the third weekend in May.

For anyone interested in history or antiques, I recommend this tour.

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