MONOGRAPHS OF KINNEY COUNTY’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: 1931 Cavalry Barracks – Member Services

This bi-weekly feature examines the enduring unique architecture to be found here in Kinney County by spotlighting individual buildings and providing brief histories, complimented by period photographs. Our intent is to explore the past, inspire the present, and build the future by showcasing the remarkable associations and legacies of structures which have stood the test of time and continue to contribute so much to the exceptional heritage of Kinney County. Our next subject is the “1931 Cavalry Barracks – Member Services” a contributing structure to the Fort Clark Historic District and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Barracks were a major building type on frontier Army posts. They provided housing for enlisted personnel and were associated with the evolution of living standards for soldiers. Barracks buildings were also major elements in the development of a post, establishing the character of an area and defining the edge of a significant open space, such as a parade ground or drill field.

During the construction of the “New Post” in 1873-74, three identical two-story stone barracks were built at Fort Clark. They were sited along the northeastern edge of the parade ground, facing southwest. The two-story barracks habitually housed cavalry units, while infantry units occupied the single-story barracks. Except for 1911, Fort Clark always had multiple cavalry troops assigned to the garrison.

A stone two-story cavalry barracks has occupied this site since 1874. For over half a century the original 1874 barracks (Post Building No. 30) provided shelter and comfort to
successive generations of troopers from the most storied cavalry regiments in U.S. Army history. An inspection in 1928 determined the building to be in poor condition and
recommended extensive repairs. The present two-story barracks, built in 1931 to replace the 1874 barracks, is constructed of tile brick with a limestone veneer and beaded mortar
joints. It has stood on this site for the past ninety-five years. During its U.S. Army service the 1931 building was home for a decade, 1931-1941, to the troopers of Headquarters Troop, 1st Cavalry Brigade and finally to soldiers of the 1855th Service Unit in World War II. After only thirteen years of military service, in the early summer of 1944, the last soldiers moved out of the 1931 cavalry barracks and the building fell silent as all the raucous times and relentless communal snoring finally came to an end. In 1946, the grounds were sold at auction by the War Assets Administration to the Texas Railway Equipment Company who subsequently salvaged all the World War II buildings and infrastructure. Fortunately a few visionary individuals saved the core 19th and 20th century stone buildings from the wrecking ball.

From 1948 until 1971 the grounds operated as the Fort Clark Guest Ranch. An R. L. Warren RPPC from the1950s incorrectly identifies the building as the Cavalrymen Apts. The building’s use as a recreation hall during that period helped it escaped John Wayne’s motel conversion of 1959. 

The Texas Historical Commission’s nomination of the Fort Clark Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, emphasized that the district, “Displays an impressive visual cohesion despite the range of construction dates; illustrates various stone building techniques and styles which are none the less  compatible and complimentary.” The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the Fort Clark Historic District over forty-five years ago, in 1979, a most significant and prestigious status considering the building has now been in adaptive reuse as offices and meeting rooms for the past sixty-six years, making it eligible for Recorded Texas Historic Landmark consideration and possible designation by the Texas Historical Commission.

In his 1981 Historic District Preservation Plan, architect Killis P. Almond, Jr. observed, “This two-story structure has a rectangular plan with a hipped roof and two one-story gabled wings attached to the rear (north). Windows are typically six-over-six wood sash, double hung in the older wings, and ten-by-ten wood casement windows in the later two-story portion. Roofs have been covered with asphalt composition shingles.

An incised limestone cornerstone is dated 1931 at the southeast corner. The courtyard, formed by the wings, has been partially closed at the north side with a masonry wall and has been developed with plantings. Wing B terminates at the north with a hipped roof unlike the other gabled wings. The stone of the wings have been extensively repainted with cement mortar and parged. Ivy growth, at the courtyard facing walls, is contributing to the deterioration of stone and mortar.”

For the past 55 years, since 1971, the building has served as the administrative headquarters of the Fort Clark Springs Association, Inc. housing member services, offices, and meeting rooms. The 1886 mess hall wing serves as the corporate board room. The second story has remained unused except for storage for many decades, while a long forgotten concept to convert the space to luxury suites continues to gather dust.

The building retains its 1931 appearance in both mass and character, particularly in regard to the stone construction and unaltered distinctive full gallery porches. The 1931 Cavalry Barracks also preserves its overall exterior form and the majority of its character-defining features, including setting, overall shape, pattern of openings, materials, and architectural details. The building continues to make a significant and lasting contribution to the unique military architecture and charm of the Fort Clark Historic District.