Birdwell House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just gonna pass it along to you straight. Now, out here in Rusk County, there's a house that has been a whole lot of things to a whole lot of people, and it started with a man named Allen Birdwell. Somebody built this place for him in the early 1840s, back when the nails were hand-forged and the timber came from whatever trees were willing to cooperate.

And whoever swung that adze knew what they were doin'. Every log hand-hewn, every corner squared and morticed tight. The kind of construction that doesn't apologize for itself.

Now the style is what they call saddle bag architecture. A story-and-a-half double house, four main rooms total, two on each floor. You step inside those first-floor rooms and the ceiling beams are right there above you, exposed, no hiding what holds this place together.

At some point, somebody decided to board over the whole exterior, cover up all that careful log work, tuck it away underneath like a secret. The logs were still there. Just waiting.

Allen Birdwell himself went on to serve as a county commissioner in 1851, and then the Texas Legislature came callin'. He served in 1853 to 1854, and again in 1863 to 1864. A man who kept showin' up when his county and his state needed him.

The house eventually found its way to the Monte Verdi plantation, and by then it had lived several lives already. Then came Mr. and Mrs. E.

F. Lowry, who in 1965 and 1966 rolled up their sleeves and restored the whole thing. All that hand-hewn history, brought back to the light.

Some houses, friend, just refuse to disappear.

What the marker says

Built in early 1840s for Allen Birdwell, 1851 county commissioner; member Texas Legislature 1853-54 and 1863-64. House is excellent example of "saddle bag" architecture-- story-and-half double house. Built of hand-hewn logs with squared morticed corners. Later "boarded over." Has four main rooms, two on each floor. First floor rooms have exposed beam ceilings. Moved to Monte Verdi plantation. Restored by Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Lowry, 1965-66.