Built in Texas (Publications of the Texas Folklore Society) [Paperback]

Francis Edward Abernethy (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful blend of history, folklore, reminiscence, and design wisdom." -- Dallas Morning News

From the Publisher

A book of folk building in Texas, Built in Texas ranges across the state in word and photograph to explore the building of: settlers who tarried on the timbered lands of East Texas and built with the readily available pine logs in the traditions of their fathers; those in the Western Cross Timbers used oak; European migrants into Central Texas stacked rocks into houses in the fashions learned in the Old Country; West Texans of the Pecos, who had neither rocks nor logs to build with, mixed mud and grass, made adobe brick, and built in traditions borrowed from the Mexican-Indian population already settled there.

Built in Texas is divided into:

Methods and Materials- The settlers that began drifting from the neighboring states into Texas in the early nineteenth century brought with them their own traditions of building that reached back to their colonial beginnings and beyond. Style and Form- The story of building in Texas is the story of the evolution and blending of styles. The Anglos, who had several generations of building experiences in their pioneering across the southern states, set the styles and forms which the European newcomers incorporated into their own forms. Barns and Outbuildings- The farm complex included the house, the barns, and all the outbuildings necessary for the family to maintain its self sufficiency. After the house was built, the settler built his crib or barn to protect his corn and his tools and ploughs.Gates and Fences- A stout fence, tight strung, punctuated regularly with straight posts set plumb is a classical work of art. It stands for order and separates territories with such exactness and definition that there is no room for argument. Holding Water- The most satisfying sound on the Plains was a smooth pumping windmill and the surge of a full pipe of water. In good times the water ran out of the trough and down a little furrow toward the chicken house until somebody noticed and cut off the windmill. Restoration and Preservation- Ways of life that are tied up in dugouts and windmills and dog trots are fast fading past us, and we would do well to capture the sight and sound of them before they go.

Product Details

• Paperback: 291 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press; 2 Sub edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157441092X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574410921
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 10.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,631,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)