CHURCH HITS
THE ROAD TODAY - Building to be moved to
Farmers Branch park
The Dallas Morning News -
Thursday, December 19, 1985
Author: Ed Housewright
FARMERS BRANCH -- A 90-year-old church that has
been donated to the city of Farmers Branch will
arrive at its new home in a historic park
Thursday, city officials said Wednesday.
The City Council voted 3-2 in October to accept
the one-time Methodist church, which had been in
the town of Renner in what is now part of North
Dallas.
The city will pay about $90,000 to have the
church moved from Hillcrest Road and McCallum
Boulevard to the city park on Farmers Branch
Lane, said Tex Stewart, assistant parks and
recreation director.
Rutha Shackelford, who had been the city's
museum curator for two years, resigned shortly
after the council's vote to accept the church,
saying she would rather see the city build a
replica of an early Farmers Branch church.
She said Wednesday she still was upset that the
council voted to move the church to the city's
22-acre historic park, which also has a stone
house that was built in 1856, a railroad depot
and the house belonging to the city's first
mayor.
"I see no way a Renner church can illustrate
Farmers Branch history ,' Ms. Shackelford said.
"Their history is their history , and our
history is our history . I've had quite a bit of
support from historical entities to build a
replica. I think eventually someone will see
that this has been done wrong.'
But Glenna Grimmer, chairwoman of the Farmers
Branch Historical Restoration and Preservation
Board, said she and other board members
supported having the church in the park.
"It is reminiscent of the Victorian style that
would have been in Farmers Branch ,' she said.
"We are not pretending this church came from
Farmers Branch . If we had an old church in
Farmers Branch , we would, of course, have
preferred that. But since we don't, this seemed
like a good solution.
"The board never discussed a replica. We were
always looking for an authentic building.'
City Council member Carol Dingman, who voted in
favor of moving the church to the park, said
Wednesday she still thought it was a good idea.
"We felt it would be representative of the early
churches and buildings in Farmers Branch ,' she
said. "I've gotten some very positive comments
from people in the community about the church.'
The church -- which was used most recently as a
wallpaper shop --
was offered to the city because of rapid
development around it. On Wednesday, it was
moved to a field near LBJ Freeway and Denton
Drive in Dallas, where it will remain until it
is taken to the park Thursday.
Farmers Branch probably will advertise for bids
this spring to refurbish the church, Stewart
said. The work could cost about $100,000, he
said.
When the restoration work is completed, the
church could be used for meetings, weddings and
receptions, Mrs. Grimmer said.
FARMERS BRANCH TO DEDICATE HISTORICAL PARK,
BUILDINGS
The Dallas Morning News - Saturday, September 20, 1986
Author: Kathy Jackson, Metro Northwest Bureau of The News: The
Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH -- Dorthanna Williams, 69, fondly remembers her
wedding shower at the Renner Methodist Church, where she read a
thank-you poem to her guests written by her best friend, Ida Mae
Marsh.
That was more than 50 years ago.
On Sunday, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Marsh, born only five hours apart,
will be reunited at the old church, which was moved from Renner and
will be on display at the opening of the new Farmers Branch
Historical Park.
Delaine Murphy, whose grandfather, William Dodson, was the first
mayor of Farmers Branch, will be at the park to show visitors the
house that her grandparents built in 1937.
"I grew up going to that house,' she said. "We went every weekend
and we always looked forward to it. We have great memories out there
-- like picking pecans every Thanksgiving.'
City officials said they are expecting a large turnout for the
official opening of the park, which had been the subject of
controversy because it is adjacent to a Dallas pesticide plant owned
by Zoecon Industries.
Earlier this year, Zoecon was ordered by the Texas Water Commission
to remove some pesticide-contaminated soil from the park. Zoecon
officials said that they removed the soil not because it endangered
human health, but as an "extra safety measure.'
"We are extremely proud of the park as it is today,' said Farmers
Branch spokeswoman Donna Huerta. "It holds so much history of Dallas
County, it is unbelievable. We feel the park is safe and free of
contamination.'
Activities at the park, located at Ford Road and Farmers Branch
Lane, will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday with an opening ceremony and a
tour of the Keenan Cemetery . Craftsmen and entertainers will be
featured, and the Wagon Wheel Stables in Coppell will stage a
western shoot-out.
"We've worked on this for about three or four years and it's so
exciting,' said Glenna Grimmer, chairwoman of the Farmers Branch
Historic Preservation and Restoration Board.
On Sunday, Mrs. Grimmer and other participants will wear
old-fashioned costumes to add a little authenticity to the
festivities.
Mrs. Williams said she will wear a faded pink dress made in 1928.
"It's got a few bad places in it, but it's real cute,' she said.
Organizers of the event also are encouraging visitors to dress in
old-fashioned clothing.
Other historic buildings at the park include a 130-year-old
"dog-trot rock house,' which was the home of Dr. Samuel Gilbert, one
of the first doctors in Dallas County.
A dog-trot rock house, Ms. Huerta said, has a passageway through the
center of the structure, with a roof but no walls on either end. It
literally divides the house, she said.
"That's why it was called a dog-trot,' Ms. Huerta said. "Because
that's where the dog would rest. And on either end you would walk
out onto a porch.'
The walls in the Gilbert house are two feet thick, she said, and
were made with sand, limestone and buttermilk.
"It must have pretty potent buttermilk,' she said.
Visitors also can see the original Farmers Branch train depot and
one of the oldest schoolhouses in Dallas County. Tours of the
historic structures will be given between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Refreshments will be served by members of the Farmers Branch Civic
League.
The Farmers Branch Women's Club will have a quilting bee on the
porch of the Gilbert house, which will be formally dedicated at 3
p.m.
Caption: Photo: Helping to dedicate the Farmers Branch Historical
Park on Sunday will be members of the Farmers Branch Historical
Preservation and Restoration Board including (from left) Nancy
Lindsay, Chairwoman Glenna Grimmer, Jane Moreno, Inez Good, Maryann
Chapman and Betty Thacker. Historical re-enactments and buildings
tours are planned. (Credit: DMN - Paula Nelson) Map: Farmers Branch
Historical Park (Credit: DMN); LOCATION: Photo - Farmers Branch,
Texas. Map - NR.
PARK OPENS WITH TASTE OF HISTORY - Pioneers' descendants among 1,000 at Farmers Branch dedication
Keenan, 61, a third-generation descendant of the first family that settled in Farmers Branch in 1842 and one of the first families to settle in Dallas County, joined several offspring of pioneer families at the opening Sunday of the new Farmers Branch Historical Park.
The park is at Farmers Branch Lane and Ford Road.
Keenan's great-grandfather, Thomas Keenan, donated the land for the original site of the Keenan Cemetery in 1843, when his firstborn son died. The cemetery site is about 10 blocks from the park.
"I've had season tickets since they (the Cowboys) were in the Cotton Bowl,' said Keenan, who used a transistor radio to keep score of the game as he strolled the tree-shaded Keenan plot. "It's about the only thing that would make me miss a Cowboys game.
Keenan, who now lives in Missouri, said, "I am honored to be able to be here and I'm quite proud of my heritage.'
During the park opening, city officials dedicated several historical buildings, including the 130-year-old Gilbert House, the oldest rock house of its kind in Dallas County. Dr. Samuel H. Gilbert and his wife, Sarah, built the house in the 1850s, on land that once belonged to one of the first settlers in the area.
More than 1,000 people attended the afternoon festivities, which featured tours of the buildings, music, wagon and surrey rides and a Confederate Army camp. As visitors milled about the park, they were greeted by frontiersmen, women in hooped skirts, weavers and lacemakers.
"This is probably the most exciting thing that has happened in Farmers Branch since it incorporated in 1946,' said Glenna Grimmer, chairwoman of the Farmers Branch Historical Board. "Dr. Gilbert and his wife have shared with us a legacy that will live forever.'
City spokeswoman Donna Huerta said that when completed, the park will have an amphitheater, log cabin and gazebo. Mayor John D. Dodd said festivities at the park will become seasonal.
The park opening had been marred by controversy because the park lies near a Dallas pesticide plant owned by Zoecon Industries. The Texas Water Commission ordered a cleanup of some pesticide-contaminated soil as a safety precaution, plant officials said.
City officials have said they think the park is safe.
Margaret Squier dressed up in a blue bonnet and a long skirt for the event Sunday, said she supported the park preservation efforts, as she took a snapshot of the Farmers Branch Depot, built in 1877.
"If you didn't (preserve the park), it just would be lost,' she said.
Farmers Branch park takes visitors back to
mid-1800s
Houston Chronicle - Sunday, July 28, 1996
Author: WITOLD SKRYPCZAK
The sturdy log house is typical of
second-generation dwellings on the Texas
frontier.
Larger and more permanent in appearance than the
original log cabins, the house has a wood floor,
a loft, windows and a limestone fireplace with a
chimney.
Located in Farmers Branch Historical Park, the
log house and two nearby barns represent a
pioneer homestead of the 1840s.
That's about the time the first settlers arrived
in this satellite city of Dallas, making Farmers
Branch the oldest continuing community in Dallas
County.
The 22-acre park, located near City Hall at the
original center of the city, opened 10 years ago
during the Texas Sesquicentennial. The park
contains 10 restored buildings representing the
city's history .
Four of the buildings, including the first two
in the collection, the Gilbert House and the
Dodson House, were built in Farmers Branch . The
others, including the log house, were moved to
the park from other areas of Texas, reassembled
and restored.
"The structures were disassembled, with all logs
numbered, and reconstructed at a new location
using 19th-century methods," says park secretary
Becky Sharp.
Gilbert House is the oldest limestone rock
structure in northeast Texas still on its
original foundation. Dr. Samuel H. Gilbert
purchased 275 acres of land at this site
sometime around 1855 and by 1857 had the native
limestone house constructed. Later, Gilbert
became a community leader and was instrumental
in bringing rail service to the area.
The doctor's diary, open to pages written in
1872, is on display inside the house. Portraits
of his daughters and granddaughters are on a
fireplace mantel. The house has native-Texas
19th-century furniture and is a rare surviving
example of an early Texas home.
Gilbert House has a vernacular center-passage
plan with a full-width front porch, twin chimney
and large hipped roof. The house is listed in
the National Register of Historic Places and
Landmarks.
A wooden church built in 1889 in the town of
Renner was relocated to the park in 1985. It
once served as a meeting house for school and
social events. "At one time, the building served
as a paint store," says Sharp. "The pulpit was
brought back from Toronto, Canada, by a former
employee who learned about the restoration."
Another building moved into the park was once a
one-room school. Built in 1915, the room has a
large center stove and rows of old desks. A U.S.
flag on the wall shows 45 stars.
The park's visitor center and gift shop are in
the Dodson House complex. The home once was a
meeting place for political discussions that
eventually led to the 1946 charter for
incorporating the City of Farmers Branch .
Dodson was elected the first mayor.
The railroad depot was built in 1878 by the
Dallas and Wichita Railroad in another section
of Farmers Branch . Restored and relocated to
the park, the depot is used as a stage for
special events in the park.
The latest addition to the collection is a Queen
Anne Cottage, built in 1885 in Gainesville.
Upcoming park events include a Farm and Ranch
Festival on Sept. 7, Halloween festivities and
Dickens in the Park on Dec. 14. Reservations for
"English Teas," held twice a day on Dec. 7, Dec.
14 and Dec. 21, will open on Aug. 1; seatings
usually are filled within a couple of hours.
A Christmas lights display in the park and over
the adjacent City Hall features 700,000 lights
and takes several months to prepare. "People
even come in helicopters to see it," says Sharp.
HOW TO GET THERE: Farmers Branch , population
24,500, is immediately northwest of Dallas
within the Dallas metropolitan area. The
historical park, 2540 Farmers Branch Lane, is
near the intersection of Interstate 35 East and
Interstate 635. Exit I-35 East on Valley View
Lane, go one block east and turn right at the
first traffic light onto Denton Drive. Continue
for a half-mile, turn left and follow the signs.
Hours are 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and
noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Winter hours
are 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and
noon-6 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Closed Fridays,
Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
For information, call (214) 406-0184. For
information on special events, call (800)
272-6249.
