Many houses in our part of town, south of San Antonio Street, are very basic one-story adobe structures. They have a 'military barracks' look, and I'd assumed that they once were part of Fort D.A. Russell, the cavalry establishment that sprawled on the southern edge of Marfa. (Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation is now settled in what was the main part of the fort).
But now I'm uncertain that the fort ever reached anywhere near house on W. Galveston Street. For one thing, the Blackwell School, less than a block away, has been on the same lot (I think) since the 1890s.
Marfa was always a segregated town and south of San Antonio Street was/is the Mexican-American/Tejano quarter. Blackwell was the elementary school for "Mexicans" until desegregation in 1965.
More later on Marfan morphology. I wonder if it's possible that some of the buildings in our hood were dragged from the fort and relocated...but I can't imagine it would be very easy or practical to move an adobe building...
Oh yeah, the fence...I think it was supposed to keep out free-range, feral, chihuahuas. It doesn't.
 |
| The Blackwell School... |
 |
Hello Behrens People..
ReplyDeleteI believe many of the barracks buildings were moved from a decommissioned base outside of town. If ours is representative..they are made of sturdy cedar..weather and termite resistant.
Under the bad siding and paneling these buildings are in very good condition.
I'd like to see someone move an adobe structure. That's hard to imagine.
ReplyDelete