by Cyndy Slovak-Barton
The log house sat on the side of FM 967 west of Buda for years. The roof had blown off, the side walls were unstable.
But the old Carpenter Log House, which was moved several years ago from near the top of Carpenter Hill is being preserved by a private citizen.
Musician Kevin Fowler, who has done 13 other restoration projects in his spare time while not making music and touring, moved the log house to his property in western Hays County.
Fowler said he is removing the extra room that was added on, is keeping the chinking that was good and fixing it as best as he can to get it back to the original.
The move from west of Buda, down FM 1626, onto FM 2770 and down FM 150 was years in the making. The log house had passed back and forth between several people trying to preserve it. Then Fowler got involved, was ready to go ... and the Texas Department of Transportation started the FM 1626 improvements between FM 967 and FM 2770.
Two years later and several movers later, Fowler moved the log house last week.
Fowler will be posting the improvements he is making to the log house on his Facebook page, so local residents interested in history can follow the tale.
A bit of history on carpenter:
Cyrus Milton Carpenter came to Texas as a 13-year-old, having been born in Kentucky. His family came to Hays County in 1854. A Methodist circuit riding preacher at the age of 20, he traveled the state, replacing a minister who had been killed in raids.
Cyrus purchased 70 acres from his dad, William Carpenter, on the family place west of Buda and built the one and a half story house out of cedar logs.
The house had two rooms downstairs and one upstairs and was completed in 1866. A Texas Historical Marker was placed on the property in 1977
The current white house sitting on top of the hill was also owned by the Carpenter Family, and the log house was close by on that property.
Cyrus Carpenter and his wife, Charlotte Clayton raised their nine children on the property.
Cyrus Carpenter operated the Buda Star, the local newspaper, from 1909 until 1917.
