By Juan Montoya
Larry Loff, in charge of the historical restoration of the Charles Stillman Laureles Ranch House said he was "floored" when he heard that some local residents started saying that workers restoring the 1840s circa structure were using aluminum siding.
"I was just out there," he said. "There is no aluminum siding being used on it. It's all wood."
Loff was right. While there is no aluminum siding, someone pointed out that asphalt shingles didn't exist and neither did modern storm windows But hey, one out of three ain't bad.
Workers at the site confirmed that only slats of wood are being used to restore the outside walls of the home that used to belong to the first property developer of Brownsville. Some would rather call him the robber baron of the city, others its founder, but that depends on the point of view.The restoration is being done based on the original plans found at the King Ranch. Laureles is part of the vast ranching empire.
The Laureles Ranch House was built sometime around 1840 to 1850 on what is now King Ranch by shipwrights hired by Stillman. He and his associates – Richard King and Mifflin Kenedy – got rich in the steamboat business flying ti under a Mexican flag to evade the Union blockade at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Local banker Francisco Yturria provided the name necessary to fly the Mexican flag for Stillman and Kenedy.
Stillman's brick home at 13th and East Washington streets downtown is now a museum run by the Brownsville Historical Association.The Laureles Ranch was an old Spanish land grant 22 miles south of Corpus Christi. The Laureles house was moved off the ranch several years ago and placed under the stewardship of the Corpus Christi Heritage Society.
The structure was moved to Brownsville after members of the Corpus Christi Society heard that some Stillman relatives still lived in the city.
After occupying the city-owned lot next door to the Cueto Building on East Madison Street, it was moved to Linear Park.
Loff, president of the Gorgas Science Foundation, professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Brownsville and an ardent historic preservationist, said only the two side structures that will house bathrooms are the only thing not authentic on the restoration site.
"You floored me with that question," he said when he was asked about it. "I just came from there and I can tell you it's not aluminum siding."
3 comments:
No aluminum, I have been there several times and the exterior and interior wall are wood and nothing more.
When finished it is going to be a great piece of history.
Stillman never lived there, but just visited and had a room. Stillman owned several ranches, he would visit from time to time.
The house has a much stronger connection to Petra Vela Kenedy and the Kings. Stillman sold the ranch and house to Kenedy when he beat feet to NYC with his ill gotten fortune after the Civil War. He was not very popular anywhere down here with anybody. He bought Confederate cotton and resold much of it to the Union Army for a great profit. Of course everybody knows of his game with the deed to the original town site of Brownsville.
We own Stillman a debt of gratitude for he did indeed put Brownsville on the map, but he was a very shady character.
Yeah and I'm sure they had asphalt singles and storm windows back then too. Are they going to charge to get in unless your prostitute just like the olden days?
Lott and whoever is paying the bills have created a "Stillman Shack" unlike anything reflective of historical restoration. It is a monument to the Kardenas Klan and Julirta Garcia who always exaggerated reality. The "Stillman Shack" continues to be an eyesore and is out of place in Linear Park. Larry Loff is an egotistical DICK!!!
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