The Confederate House is the oldest home located on the ranch. It was built in the 1850’s and was originally located on Main Street in Industry, Texas, one of the oldest German/Czech settlements in Texas. In the early 1960’s, an elderly lady who lived on Main Street a few doors down from this home relayed stories to John about her father telling of watching from their front porch as groups of ragged and worn Confederate soldiers marched home from the Civil War. The name “Confederate House” seemed appropriate since the home was on the route and could have housed some of those returning soldiers.

The house was built in the early Texas style having 12 foot ceilings with a center hall or “dog trot”. The entrance was a single four panel front door with glass paneled sidelights and transoms. There was one room on either side of the center hall and a steep stairway up to a large upstairs dormitory style room used for children to sleep. A dining room and kitchen area were added to the back in the later 1800’s.

The original construction was of hand hewn logs that were cut and numbered with Roman numerals, then put together. Clapboard cypress siding, longleaf pine wood floors and wood walls were the construction materials. Wood-paned 6-over-6 glass paneled windows are typical of the period architecture. German craftsmen were well known for their skill and creativity. Under years and layers of added paint and wallpaper, the original paint on the doors, walls, ceilings and floors and the original German stenciling were uncovered and have been preserved today as they appeared 150 years ago.

The house was destined to be demolished to make way for a new and modern home so in 1999 it was moved from its original site to the ranch. It is has been carefully and authentically restored and now sits on an old homesite on the ranch nestled among century old native hican trees and surrounded by a split rail fence. The large raised deck and glassed in sun porch allows a scenic view of the surrounding hills and overlooks the 7-acre bass lake which was left partially wooded for ducks and other migratory birds.

The house has a living room, fully stocked kitchen and a dining area on the sun porch. There are two bedrooms downstairs and a daybed on the sun porch. The downstairs bath features an iron clawfoot tub and shower. The two upstairs bedrooms share a single bath.