1931 Cavalry Barracks – Patton Hall

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 – Patton Hall” 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-storybarracks 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. 31) 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 the1874 barracks, has stood on this site for ninety-four years. During its U.S. Army service the 1931 building was home for a decade, 1931-1941, to the soldiers of “A” Troop, 5th Cavalry and finally to troopers of the 9th Cavalry, the last of the Buffalo Soldiers. 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. In 1959, John Wayne’s Batjac Productions approached George and Herman Brown for use of the fort to shoot scenes and for much needed housing of cast and crew for Wayne’s epic film The Alamo. The Browns were eager to accommodate and allowed Wayne to convert the barracks into eighteen individual guest rooms. This adaptation created sixteen door openings for fifteen-light wood doors from the original windows of the front (southwest) facade. The original wide center bay entrance doorways were framed-in to accept a fifteen-light 36” wood door. The original concrete staircase to the second floor was removed and replaced with a wooden staircase. Following Wayne’s departure the Fort Clark Guest Ranch now had a first class modern motel to promote as short-term lodging for visitors and the traveling public. It was during the Guest Ranch period that the building was named “Patton Hall.” In 1994, FCSA cut window and air conditioner openings for each room.

Twenty years after John Wayne’s alterations, the Texas Historical Commission’s nomination of the Fort Clark Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places 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 historic lodging accommodations for the past sixty-six years, making it eligible for Recorded Texas Historic Landmark consideration and possible designation by the Texas Historical Commission.

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.

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