I recently attended an open house of the Halfway Inn in Chireno, Texas, about 20 miles from where I live. Also known as the Flournoy-Grandberry House, this hewn-log building is constructed of square notch logs two rooms wide and one room deep with a dogtrot or central hall. It was built on the El Camino Real (the King's Highway) between Nacogdoches and San Augustine in about 1840. Since the El Camino Real was the gateway to Texas from the east, many travelers found their way past the home of Samuel Flournoy, who eventually rented out rooms to travelers at the stage stop. The house has been meticulously restored through the efforts of local citizens, a pretty remarkable task since the population of Chireno is only 415.
The open house was hosted by members of the Chireno Historical Society and included several ladies and one gentleman who provided Christmas carols played on dulcimers, a folk instrument which is believed to have originated in the southern Appalachian Mountain area.
10 comments:
wow, that's gorgeous! the weathered wood, the columns, the stone. very beautiful!
That is a fantastic building! It has so much character. I am really taken with it.
I haven't heard of this town. Interesting.
What a great building! I like dulcimers!
I love the look of the house.
Ha! I love the name.
What a feat for 415 citizens to accomplish. And let's face it, there had to be a couple two or three who said "bah humbug" and didn't help. :) I love to listen to dulcimers! Now I'm off to find some music.
Happy Friday!
I like to see theses old stage stops. It makes me stop and ponder what it would have been like to travel back in the old days.
I am always fascinated from houses like this one. It looks so wonderful. And I´m put back to my childhood when I see this old instrument that my mother played... sniff...
Wow what a neat old place! Sounds like a great time.
I was in Texas last week and I wanted to take a drive out to Nacogdoches because I heard it was the oldest downtown in the state. I decided against it when I found out it was 200 miles from where I was staying. Chireno is even farther. Hopefully I'll see that part of Texas someday. For now I'll look at your photos labeled "Texas history. :)
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