Old Stanard Home

Duane's take

Here's what the official marker has to say, and I'm gonna let it breathe a little. This is the story of the Old Stanard Home, out in Bandera County. The land beneath it carries names worth knowing.

First there was John James — surveyor of the townsites of both Bandera and Castroville. Then, at some point, that same ground passed through the hands of Confederate general John Bell Hood. Two names, one piece of Texas earth, and neither one of them ever got a house built on it.

Why? Well, hostile Indians kept construction from happening — full stop. The land waited, and it waited, and it wasn't until 1878 that anyone finally raised a structure on it.

Now hold that year in your mind, because two years after that — 1880 — the town of Medina was founded right nearby. So the house beat the town. By the time Medina was even a notion on a map, there was already a roof going up on that old John James and John Bell Hood ground.

Then, in 1889, the Stanard family came into ownership, and here's the part that lands quiet but lands hard — they never left. The Stanard family has held that place ever since. Surveyors, generals, hostile territory, a town that hadn't been born yet — and in the end, what outlasts all of it is one family and one home.

What the marker says

On land owned by John James, surveyor of Bandera and Castroville townsites, and by Confederate general John Bell Hood. Hostile Indians prevented construction until 1878, two years prior to founding of Medina. Owned by Standard family since 1889. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965.