Gran Paseo (Great Ride)
The story of a homestead in The Texas Hill Country
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Vera Jordan by a typical rock fence on the Mason-Fredericksburg highway, 1926.
Once upon a time a brave and proud citizen of the newly established Republic of Texas found himself in the possession of a beautiful spread along a spring fed creek, a half day’s ride north of the Pedernales River.
The only thing he needed, and yearned for was a wife to share it with.
So he set out for New Orleans, where his dashing looks, and tales of glory in The Texas Revolution, enabled him to lure the perfect match: Mademoiselle Denise was petite in stature, an artist of sorts, and feisty enough in temperament to face the Texas frontier by his side. They were married in a tiny Methodist church on the western outskirts of Austin, and then hosted a throw-down just outside of town in celebration of their union.
Upon their arrival, the Madame was immediately spellbound by the spring fed creek full of frogs and birds, the lush grass pastures, the rocky hills coated with Texas wildflowers, Yucca and Prickly Pear; the tree-lined lanes, the soaring and ancient Pecan trees and the Post Oak-covered mesa.
THE HOMESTEAD:
The house they built together was inspired by their Southern ancestral heritage, within the limitations of the surrounding rough scrabble Texas terrain and the existing frontier circumstances:
- Sturdy local limestone construction and colorful painted wood were tried-and- true materials borrowed from the nearby farms of their German Hill Country pioneer neighbors
- Tall, walk-through windows, soaring ceilings and a formal dining room, nspired by the homes of Madame’s beloved New Orleans
- Extensive outdoor living spaces to enjoy Hill Country mornings and evenings on a terrace, in a covered pavilion or a spacious screened porch
- A library/den for quiet evenings and high-noon siesta times
THE “Later” WOOD ADDITIONS:
As modern conveniences were developed, the original stone home was eventually given an extensive wood clad addition to include a modern kitchen, an extensive master closet, indoor bathrooms and a laundry room.
THE LAND and ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS
The grounds around the house were tamed to include:
- A handsome entrance gate
- Two hayfields
- A multi-functional carriage house for farm vehicles and cars, and a recreation room on the top floor
- A kitchen herb garden
- Drought and deer-resistant indigenous plants and climbing vines to soften and cool the house’s terraces and porches
- A pump house and water trough/plunge pool
- A rain silo to capture and distribute water
- A walking path connecting the entire property
And eventually…
- A greenhouse/outdoor dining room
- An animal-proof vegetable and flower garden
- Bee hives
- A chicken coop
Family, friends, neighbors and the occasional cattle driver on his way through, frequently dropped by to stay the night because the homestead was so comfortable. Modern comforts and technology were mixed in with family heirlooms and a lifelong collection of primitive antiques. The ambiance was sophisticated, while casual enough to invite kicking up your feet.
As their family grew, and eventually grew up, grandchildren were welcomed for many adventures on the ranch: camp fire building, nature walking, gardening, wild flower gathering, bow shooting, cooking, reading stories and playing dress up in Grande D’s costume closet.
Eventually, Denise and her rugged Texas groom grew too old to tend the place themselves, so they hired a caretaker and his sweet spirited wife to live on the ranch with them. They lived out their final days on the little piece of land they considered heaven. And in the end, like their old friend Augustus McCrea, they were both laid to rest under a soaring Pecan tree canopy along the creek at Gran Paseo.