Grierson-Sproul House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Out here in Jeff Davis County, stone has a way of outlasting everything, drought, time, and even fire. And this particular stretch of West Texas masonry has seen all three.

The Grierson-Sproul House, they call it now, and it earns every syllable of that name. The walls you're lookin' at are built from pink volcanic rock, tuff, the builders called it, the same kind of stone you'll find in several of the officer's quarters over at Fort Davis. That's not a coincidence.

This whole community grew up in the shadow of that military post, and when B. H. Grierson Jr. completed this residence in 1908, he was building in the same tradition, the same material, the same spirit as the soldiers and officers who'd shaped the land before him.

Early twentieth century construction, solid and pink and proud. Then 1912 came along. Fire has a way of arriving uninvited, and this one destroyed much of the structure, much of what Grierson had raised up just four years before.

Now, here's where the story pivots. A local rancher by the name of Franklin Sproul also happened to be the County Sheriff of Jeff Davis County, and he directed the restoration of the home. Brought it back.

And what the Sproul family did next was something the walls themselves couldn't have managed alone, they made the place a center for community activities. Neighbors, gatherings, the kind of living that turns a house into something more. Today that building stands as an architectural link to both the military and the agricultural history of West Texas.

Two families, one fire, one restoration, and a house made of volcanic rock that's still standin' to tell you about all of it.

What the marker says

This masonry residence resembles other buildings in the community, including several officer’s quarters at the military post of Fort Davis. Completed in 1908 by B. H. Grierson Jr., the house incorporates pink volcanic rock known as tuff that exemplifies early 20th century construction. In 1912, a fire destroyed much of the structure, but local rancher and County Sheriff Franklin Sproul directed the restoration of the home. It is due in large part to the Sproul family that the residence became a center for community activities. The home now serves as an architectural link to the military and agricultural history of West Texas. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2016