Jill Brown Spaulding

Docents of the Governor’s Mansion June 2018

great summer day in Texas.

The Docent Newsletter is designed to keep Docents informed of opportunities and events related to Texas history and to aid Docents in their service to the Governor’s Mansion. Your input is important. Please send your items for the newsletter to:

the Questionnaire—Linda Amey, Nancy Prideaux, Sara News from Our 2018 Chair, Conley, Erika Herndon, Jo Betsy Norton and Nancy Jo Jill Brown Spaulding.

We have been a busy group since our During the summer, we will embark on a project to last Newsletter in February and many interview our Docents serving 30 years or more. Erika, thanks to our wonderful, tireless Sara, and I will be working on this and there are details Executive Committee and to Erika elsewhere in the newsletter. Herndon, our Executive Director for her Please check your email as Louri will be sending dues constant support. statements during July.

Martha Coons, Garden Party Chair, and her committee On September 25, at our General Meeting, we are provided the most wonderful party and tour of honoring our Docents serving 20 and 30+ years. Please Woodlawn in March (more from Martha about mark your calendar. Many thanks to Linda, Louri, and specifics). Donna Beth for working on this list of members. Below

Our Program Chairs, Gale Webb and Jeani Smith, is a list of honorees and if you think we have left anyone organized the bus trip to Houston and tour of the Bayou off the list, please give me a call or email me. Bend Collection in April (more information later in the newsletter). I hope those attending the May meeting Docents Serving 30+ Years: are enjoying the wonderful book, American Decorative Helen Bostick, Carrielu Christensen, Martha Coons, Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection, June Cooper, Diana Dorman, Virginia Duke, Linda provided to our Docents by Bonnie Campbell, Director Gladden, Susan Johnson, Donna Beth McCormick, La of the Bayou Bend Collection (due to arrangements Nan McKinney, Anita Mickey, Bernie Slack, and Cathy made by Erika). Dr. Ken Hafertepe, was the speaker at Powell. our May meeting. He was so interesting and his passion Docents Serving 20 Years: for the subject matter, paintings of Hermann Lungkwitz, Joanie Bentzin, Connie Giles, Cindy Mitchell, Barbara was infectious. (I can only imagine how his students Mjos, Karen Oswalt, Nancy Jo Spaulding, Pam enjoy his lectures!) Willeford, and Eva Womack. The Questionnaire completed by our Active members has been returned, compiled, and a recap provided This is a great accomplishment and exhibits elsewhere in the newsletter. Thank you so much for wonderful dedication to the Docents of the sharing your insights. There was no clear directive for a Governor’s Mansion. new class of Docents, as almost all our Docents would love to work more times and of course, more Have a great summer!!! consistently. Our Executive Committee will continue to monitor this aspect. Once again thanks to all involved in Jill Brown together to recognize and celebrate long-time Kathy’s Garden Party Associates, many of whom were members of the first group of Mansion Docents, and to March 28, 2018 honor the memory of our beloved Kathy.

The Executive Committee extends a grand “Thank You!” to Martha and Richard Coons for creating the perfect setting for Kathy’s Third Garden Party.

On the walk over to the Mansion, Dealey THE DREAM Herndon provided a history of the Pease Mansion after Governor Allan Shivers and his COMMITTEE wife, Marialice, gave the property to The RESPONSIBLE FOR University of Texas. When U.T. could not find THE GARDEN an appropriate and affordable use for the PARTY historic home, it was transferred to the State of Texas. Due to the cost of restoration and ongoing operational costs, the State also struggled with trying to find a long-term use that the neighborhood might support, given potential traffic, parking and noise issues.

Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock loved Texas

Committee Members: Jill Brown, Sharon history and wanted to see Abner Cook’s Hornfischer, Mary Anne Rickhoff, Kay Harvey- Shaw/Pease/Shivers Mansion protected if the Mosley, Jeani Smith, Connie Giles, Jeanette State’s decision was to sell the house by Auerbach, Dealey Herndon, Martha Coons and public auction. Dealey Herndon worked with Nancy Jo Spaulding him and Governor Bush to require that the home be preserved even if it was sold.

Dealey worked with the Texas Historical Commission to develop a state-approved Master Plan, which provided a guide to restoration for any potential bidders. The Visualize Beatrix Potter’s English garden and Master Plan document was privately funded you have a mental picture of the lovely setting and was developed by highly-respected for Kathy’s Third Garden Party. preservation architect David Hoffman. Dealey

On March 20, 2018, the Executive Committee asked that two options be developed: one that of the Docents of the Governor’s Mansion restored the Abner Cook home to its original hosted a tea party in the beautiful home and exterior design; and a second that gardens of Martha and Richard Coons. The incorporated later exterior additions. The idea for a “Docents Garden Party” to honor accepted bid was from the Sandefers, who Associate members of the DGM was originated elected to restore the home to its original by our late Docent chair, Kathy Rogers. The Abner Cook architectural design. They Docents later decided a more appropriate coordinated the restoration with the Texas name for the occasion would be “Kathy’s Historical Commission and, as we all witnessed, did a beautiful job. Garden Party.” And so it became, and this year we celebrated Kathy’s Third Garden Party The visit was lovely in all respects…warm, honoring the Associate members of the DGM. genteel and educational. We are fortunate to

The occasion this year was a joyous have Woodlawn in our city. Laura welcomed gathering of some 59 Docents coming each Docent to the Mansion and offered bubbly or water. proportions of these elements was so perfectly established. Dr. Kenneth Hafertepe, author of Cook’s biography, notes that the Shaw house was the prototype for the Governor’s Mansion, soon to be under construction. Each house Cook built faced east to provide shade on their front porches in the afternoon, but each had variants, including the way his signature X-and-stick railing adorned the balconies and porticos. Study (and enjoy) Hafertepe’s book about this and other characteristics of Cook’s homes.

The floor plan of this house in Hafertepe’s book shows a double parlor on the south side, with the dining room in the rear of the original house. (The The Docents were seated in the living room for wall that divided the parlors was removed much later, and you are seated in this room.) The wide a presentation by Elizabeth Whitlow, Texas hall and stairs is in the center of the house, and History Research Services, Austin the library is on the north side. Assuming there

“E. M. Pease and Lucadia N. Pease: A was no room behind the library at first, the original house was ell-shaped, with the base of the ell as Biographical Summary” the front. Four large bedrooms were upstairs. I Woodlawn: a “handsome house” presume that the Pease’s “sleeping parlor” was on by Elizabeth Whitlow the upstairs southeast corner to catch the prevailing breeze, and I know that their daughters, These remarks are about the early history of this Carrie and Julie, shared the southwest bedroom house and its first owners. We begin with the that overlooked the fruit orchard to the south and land. When the square mile of Austin was laid out west. Of course, there were no bathroom and the in 1839, it and the land around it was already kitchen was in a separate building in the back. under private ownership. As the area grew, the large tracts beyond the city limits (sometimes sub- Hafertepe notes that Cook’s interest in a sawmill in divided) were sold. One of the buyers in early the Bastrop area points to the use of pine for his Austin was James B. Shaw, State Comptroller of houses, and that he owned two brick kilns on the Public Accounts from 1839 to 1859, including the banks of Shoal Creek, facilitating early, two-story years when Pease was governor. Shaw bought brick structures in town. I’ve recently learned from about 650 acres west of town in the fall of 1853 Mr. Russ Butler, 4th generation descendant of the from Joseph Moreland and one Mirabeau B. Butler family that started the Butler Brick Lamar. Company here in the 1870’s, that the light beige Woodlawn bricks are made from a clay deposit on Shaw decided to build a large home on the west the banks of the Colorado, across the river from side of the property that had been owned by the location of the company’s pits and kilns during Moreland, and contracted with Austin’s Master their early operations. I owe thanks to Laura Builder Abner Cook, who was busy building other Sandefer who loaned me a brick for Mr. Butler to fine homes in town. Cook began building this examine. You can see in the early photograph of house in 1854; his exact finishing date is Woodlawn and of the Governor’s Mansion that the unknown. Why would a bachelor want such a brick has slight color variants and was not the large home? In the biography of the Peases I’m pristine white that paint makes them today. writing, I’ll tell that story with material that has not been well known before, and I’ll mention a bit While James Shaw was in Washington on state of it shortly. business, he may have met there the lady who became his wife, but details are lacking. In any Cook was building Neoclassical-style homes here case, he came home with the former “Miss that were inspired by ancient Greek lines and Bonnicastle.” They had a little girl, but she passed proportions. These houses, which the modern away at about the age of two, perhaps with lead viewer only associates with Southern plantations, poisoning from the cistern pipes. Mrs. Shaw, ill had long been built in Europe and later in the with an unknown ailment, perhaps grief, was North, Midwest, and South of the United States taken to “a cooler climate” and soon passed away. well before Cook began work in Austin. He Shaw wanted nothing more to do with the house, experimented with architectural elements such as and he offered it for sale to his former boss, the size and number of columns in the front, and it Marshall Pease. The year was 1859, and stirrings was with the Shaw house that the formula for the of unrest that lead up to the Civil War made it an uncertain time. However, Pease bought the house During the Pease’s lifetimes, their daughter Julie’s, and surrounding land from his friend in need, and then the Pease’s grandson, Niles with his wife making two payments of more than $13,000. Anita, this house was the site of frequent Lucadia described the house as “handsome,” and hospitality. City, state, and national figures came said she was “as happy as a child with a new toy.” out here for gracious dinners and later, for parties. The Pease’s eldest daughter, Carrie, was married She also observed that it lacked closets and a here, and some of her children were probably born kitchen sink, and she would trade all the porticos here. When the governor died in 1883, his widow and pillars for storage and a sink. Of course, she refused the offer of having his body lie in state in was referring to a dry sink -- a cabinet with a the Capitol; long lines of friends came to his raised edge. A large water pitcher and basin sat on beloved Woodlawn to pay their respects. Lucadia, the top. Lucadia got these things. The family who lived cheerfully to age 91, passed away from debated on a name for the property and settled on the consequences of a broken hip here. All in all, “Wood Lawn” (two words). The governor felt that the story of this house is one of happiness. During “Windsor Lawn” had pretentious overtones of the Pease’s lifetime, this house provided them a English royalty. Windsor was the name of place of great joy, and whether they had been in in Lucadia’s home town in Connecticut (although her the North visiting family or on business they family’s house was in Poquonock, which is now a always wanted to return to it. suburb of Windsor). Marshall was from Enfield, and both towns were in Hartford County. The streets in the Enfield neighborhood bear family or Connecticut names with few exceptions.

This house was not only in the country, it was on a working farm. Woodlawn was never a plantation, but the Peases grew corn and wheat in fields where Mopac is today and Johnson Creek – now drained off – ran through it. The family grew garden vegetables and watermelon in years that rainfall permitted; a cistern collected only enough rainwater for drinking and cooking. Water may have been hauled in barrels from the river for the horses, mules, cows, goats, and probably chickens. Fields were fenced with sturdy cedar planks before the advent of barbed wire. Lucadia was intensely interested in growing flowers and shrubs, and experimented with many, here on the edge of land that was far too hot and dry for northern plants. Julie was also intensely interested in flowers as well as in preserving the natural landscape, Notes: especially trees. We may thank her to this day. The material for these remarks is largely based on letters of the Pease family which are in the Pease, We also need to realize that the way the Graham, and Niles Families Papers in the Austin neighborhood is laid out now was not the way it History Center, Austin Public Library. The book, was before the 1920s and ‘30s. When we look at Lucadia Pease and the Governor: Letters 1850-1857 the lovely acres around the house, it is easy to say, (Austin: Encino Press, 1974) is an excellent “Oh, they owned a lot of land,” but in fact this is resource. Material about the house is well- only three-plus acres out of about three hundred. documented in Kenneth Hafertepe’ s book, Abner The house is situated carefully on a small plateau Cook: Master Builder on the Texas Frontier (Austin: and tapers down on each side. Governor Pease Texas State Historical Association Press, 1992). wrote once that from Woodlawn the moon seemed closer than from anywhere else in town. The longer remarks I made to the Governor’s Mansion Docents in January 2018 as well as these As for the streets, we know from plats, maps, and are based on research I am conducting for a double Austin City Directories that Niles and Windsor biography of the Peases, but little in these roads were laid out first. Eventually, when the presentations reflects the original findings that will family descendants developed Enfield, Pease Road be published in the book. was built in front of the house. Extant rock pillars for fencing were installed to define its current boundaries.

Docents of the Governor’s Mansion We had a beautiful day for our trip to Houston. A total of 28 Docents and guests arrived at the Bayou Bend Trip, April 5, 2018 Visitors Center at Bayou Bend where we had box lunches and an opportunity to explore the Center and enjoy an introduction to the Collection. After our 90-minute tour of the period rooms we returned to the Center for an informal reception, where we were joined by Bonnie Campbell, director of the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Jill Brown presented Bonie with a copy of Early Seating Upholstery- Reading the Evidence, by LeRoy Graves, for the Bayou Bend Docent Library. We later learned (and are very thankful) that Our program chairs, Gale Webb and Jeani Smith, Erika had arranged through Bonnie to obtain a planned a fun day trip to Houston to tour Bayou copy of American Decorative Arts and Paintings Bend, the former home of philanthropist Ima in the Bayou Bend Collection (The Museum of Hogg that now houses the Museum of Fine Arts Fine Arts, Houston) for each Docent of the Texas Houston collection of American decorative arts Governor’s Mansion. and paintings.

Jill Brown, Vanessa Wolfe, Dolly Barclay, Nancy Morris and Anne Wink

Considered one of the premier collections in the country, the rare and beautiful objects are Docents of the installed throughout the 1920s mansion in 28 period room settings. Governor’s Mansion General Meeting and Luncheon May 22, 2018

Jeanie Smith, Gale Webb and Dr. Hafertepe Jo Betsy Norton, Sara Conley, Gale Webb, Jill Brown, Cynthia Shaw, and June Cooper Committee Reports

MEMBERSHIP- As of May 11, 2018

Active Docents: 59 Associate Docents: 29 Docent Emerita: 1 TOTAL: 89

Changes to Docent Roster/Directory:

 Removed Bernie Slack’s home phone number

Erika Herndon, Executive Director of the Friends  Added Fran Brookin’s new email address of the Governor’s Mansion, introduced our [email protected]

Luncheon Speaker, Dr. Kenneth Hafertepe, Chair  Added Marilyn Schwartz’s new email address of the Department of Museum Studies at Baylor [email protected]

University.  Added Mary Ann Dougherty’s new address - 3312 Pecos Street, 78703 His areas of specialization include: American material culture, decorative arts, and historic  Added Ann Wink’s new address and phone preservation. The Docents, of course, know him number 1114 Euel Moore Drive as the author of ABNER COOK Master Builder Kingsland, Texas 78639 on the Texas Frontier. Dr. Hafertepe is a 512-636-3277 graduate of Georgetown University and holds the master’s and doctoral degrees in American The Docents of the Governor's Mansion Standing

Civilization from the University of Texas. Rules, ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP, states that a Docent will pay ANNUAL DUES by September 1 of “Hermann Lungkwitz: Painting Austin, San each year and return the signed Volunteer Liability Antonio, and the Hill Country 1851-1891” was the title of Dr. Hafertepe’s presentation. Release Agreement by October 15.

Hermann Lungkwitz is represented in two rooms In order to collect the forms and dues in a timely of the Governor’s Mansion: The Texas Military manner, I will send the documents to all Docents Institute, painted by Lungkwitz in 1874, is in the for signature no later than July 31, 2018. State Dining Room; and the 1851 Portrait of Hermann Lungkwitz by Friedrich Richard Petri, In order to cut down on costs, these documents Lungkwitz’s brother-in-law, hangs in the Small will be emailed for you to print, sign and return. If a Parlor. Docent does not have email I will mail the documents.

Please email or call Louri O’Leary if you have questions at:

[email protected] or 512-423-6176

Louri O’Leary, Membership Chair

Carol A. Crawford, Karen Leeke, Mollie Davis

Jeani Smith and Gale Webb, Program Chairs Activity at The Governor’s confident the more we repeat something. A great number of you have expertise in Texas Mansion 2018 history, antiques, decorative arts and architecture, storytelling, and working with Following are the Docent activity tallies at the young people. A majority expressed an interest in serving on the Executive Committee Mansion from January 1 through June 6, 2018: or as a Quarter Chair. Thanks for all the interesting ideas and programs, which have 17 Events been shared with the Program Committee 661 Guests Chairs. Additionally, thanks for the great 70 Docents served feedback and suggestions that have been shared with the Executive Committee. Current Quarter Chairs, Vanessa Wolfe and Pam The completed questionnaires are in a Whitley, have noticed the increase in events notebook and will be passed with the Chair’s scheduled the past two months. We hope June notebook as a reference for future Chairs and carries on with this trend before things quiet down Executive Committees. over the summer. Betsy Schmidt and Nancy Jo Spaulding will serve as Quarter Chairs for the third Jill Brown, Docent Chair quarter during the months of July, August, and September. You can help make their job easier by informing the Membership Chair, Louri O’Leary, if phone numbers, fax numbers, or e-mail addresses change during the year.

Sara Conley, Chair-Elect/Scheduling

DGM ORAL HISTORIES OF DOCENTS SERVING 30 YEARS

Docents Serving 30+ Years: Helen Bostick, Carrielu Christensen, Martha Coons, June Cooper, Diana DGM Questionnaire Recap Dorman, Virginia Duke, Linda Gladden, Susan Johnson, Donna Beth McCormick, La Nan

First, thanks to the 81% of you that McKinney, Anita Mickey, Bernie Slack, Cathy Powell responded to the questionnaire, which enables the Board to plan and take steps to enhance We invite you to share some of your memorable our effectiveness at the Mansion. experiences gleaned from 30 years of service in the Governor’s Mansion. This summer, we will contact The overwhelming majority of you love serving you by email or phone to find a convenient time to at the Mansion and would like to serve more meet at Erika’s Westlake office. You will be paired consistently. Fifty-eight percent of you would with another 30-year Docent for this relaxed like to serve at least two times or more a month and are happy to serve more in the 4th discussion. We will provide you with the questions quarter. Almost everyone said YES to the in advance and this session will be audio only. “Call Anytime” list. Most Docents prefer tours Please be thinking about some of your favorite and events with room assignments (50%), stories, recollections, and experiences to share. whole house tours (4%) and both or all (46%). This information will be a valuable educational tool Our Education Chairs, Kay Harvey-Mosley for current and future Docents. Thank you for your and Candace Hunter, are working on ways to generous service. ensure a greater comfort level regarding the whole house tours, as all of us are more LUNCH: Huisache Grill Friends of the Governor’s Mansion DEPART: 9:00am Barton Creek Mall: Northeast corner of parking lot In the coming weeks, Friends of the Governor’s Mansion will launch a new website! The updated RETURN: 3:30pm website will include more pictures and education information for virtual visitors. Most importantly, TRAVEL: By car (Drivers needed) the new design and platform enable us to continue COST: $25 RESERVATION BY CHECK TO: to add information, expanding our opportunities to educate the public about the most historic home in Gale Webb Texas and its important collection. 134 Hazeltine Dr. Georgetown, Tx. 78628 One of the web pages is designated for the Docents (512-864-9676) of the Governor’s Mansion. This password [email protected] protected page will be just for Docents! Once the site is “live”, you will receive login instructions for DEADLINE: Thursday, June 21 the Docent page. It is a snap, all you will need to do is insert the designated password, and voilà, you DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN will be able to locate electronic copies of the DGM MORE ABOUT THE FURNITURE, CULTURE AND HISTORY OF THE HILL COUNTRY GERMAN Directory, DGM Standing Rules, Quarter Chairs, IMMIGRANTS ! ! ! meeting dates, newsletters and more!

As always, I welcome your feedback! Thank you for September 22, 2018 – General Meeting your dedication to the Governor’s Mansion and your commitment to serving. Details will be coming soon! Erika Herndon, Executive Director, Friends of Jeani Smith and Gale Webb, Program Chairs the Governor’s Mansion

Upcoming Events & Meetings A Note from Associate

Docent DGM Day Trip to New Braunfels LaVonne Mason DATE: Thursday, June 28

Tour of the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture. This is a collection of early Texas furniture made by German cabinetmakers who settled in Central Texas between 1845 and 1865. It is housed in the Dear Docents of the Governor’s Mansion: Breustedt family farmhouse of the same period. The tour includes four other early structures. There are simply no words to thank you for http://texashandmadefurniture.org/ the loving expression of sympathy you have given us during the passing of our only grandchild, Draylen Mason. We are deeply grateful. On behalf of my family, I thank you. With our love, LaVonne The Mason Family