Near Brackettville in Kinney County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Officers Quarters 2-3 and 4
Photographed By William F Haenn, April 30, 2012
1. Officers Quarters 2-3 and 4 Marker
These two buildings date from 1854-55, soon after the U.S. Army established Fort Clark. The antebellum fort then included officers quarters and barracks for enlisted men, as well as a two-story quartermaster storehouse, powder magazine, hospital, guardhouse and post headquarters around a parade ground. During this period, such notable army officers as John Bell Hood, J.E.B. Stuart, Fitzhugh Lee and James Longstreet served here and likely lived in these quarters. Horizontal logs and vertical posts were notched and interlocked to create these buildings. Limestone chimneys are also historic. The army closed the fort in 1944, by which time the buildings were clad in lath and plaster and wood siding.Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2007
Ante-bellum Officers' Quarters Log Construction c.1854
has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 1979
Erected 2007 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13963.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles
this page online
Location. 29° 18.382′ N, 100° 25.292′ W. Marker is near Brackettville, Texas, in Kinney County. Marker is at the intersection of Colony Row and Patton Drive, on the right when traveling south on Colony Row. Marker is located on Fort Clark Springs in the Fort Clark National Register Historic District and accessible to the public. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Colony Row, Brackettville TX 78832, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Married Officers' Quarters 8-9 (within shouting distance of this marker); Officers' Row Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. Army Unit Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Seminole-Negro Indian Scout Detachment (about 400 feet away); 2nd Cavalry Division at Fort Clark (about 400 feet away); Fort Clark Post Theater (about 500 feet away); Officers' Club Open Mess (about 600 feet away); 1873 Infantry Barracks (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brackettville.
Regarding Officers Quarters 2-3 and 4. Quarters No. 2-3 and Quarters No. 4 were uniquely constructed of vertical posts and horizontal logs in 1854-55 by the United States Army and were the first permanent quarters for officers built on Fort Clark. Today,
Photographed By William F Haenn, November 22, 2011
2. Quarters 2-3 and 4 Antebellum Log Officers' Quarters
Killis P. Almond, Jr. noted in his 1983 Fort Clark Historic District Preservation Plan, “Horizontal log construction; notched and interlocked at the corners, is not a prevalent tech-nique found along the Rio Grande because of the general unsuitability of sufficient timber re-serves. There is horizontal log construction in the District, however, and it is unusual not only for the Rio Grande area but, also for this area of the United States. The method found here is indigenous to French Canadian log construction and is known as pièce sur pièce. This method consists of horizontal logs mortised into channels in upright corner posts and pegged securely in place.”
Additional keywords. Army Architecture
Photographed By Carl Ekmark, June 8, 1938
3. Historic view of Quarters #2-3
Photographed By Carl Ekmark, June 8, 1938
4. Historic view of Quarters #4
circa 1873
5. Officers Quarters 2-3 and 4
One of the earliest photographs taken at Fort Clark. Note group of live oak trees in the foreground as compared to the photo from the present day.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. This page has been viewed 707 times since then and 10 times this year. Last updated on May 16, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 1, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. 5. submitted on October 12, 2015, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
