houses; design and construction; agriculture; transportation
Marker Year
2008
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Yes
Marker Location
FM 539, W side near Lake Valley Drive on private property
Private Property
Yes
Marker Condition
Access Restricted
Marker Size
27" X 42"
Marker Text
Alabama natives Emory Crawford Barker (1839-1914) and Leah Humphreys (1842-1931) both came to the area with their families in the early 1850s. Emory served in Co. G of Terry’s Texas Rangers during the Civil War. He and Leah married in 1866 and had seven children. The Barkers bought 260 acres along the Old Sutherland Springs - Seguin Road. Their home built in 1871 is one of few remaining rock houses in the Cibolo Valley. Red sandstone for construction was sawed rather than being chipped or broken as was more common. A nearby spring-fed water well made the home a popular stop for stagecoaches and wagons. In 1879, the Barkers sold the house and moved to Blanco county. After a succession of owners, Rudolph (1882-1952) and Adelia Moehrig (1888-1980) Huebinger bought the house in November 1916. Besides this farm Rudolph owned a butcher shop, and Adelia was a noted seamstress and hat maker here and in California. The property remained in the Huebinger family at the turn of the 21st century. This historic homestead includes a main house, outbuilding and well. The home is a load-bearing masonry structure with an extended hall and parlor layout. Rough-cut sandstone is laid in both regular and irregular courses, and craftsmanship is evident in corner quoins and other details. Interior features include stone chimneys, plaster finishes and wood doors. The adjacent building, possibly built as a ranch hand bunkhouse, has rough-cut sandstone laid in regular courses and timbered side gables. Notable interior details include a fireplace and a stone nicho possibly reflecting Hispanic influence. The circular well features a concrete cap atop a deep shaft lined with stones similar to those used in the buildings. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2008
