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Beginning in the late 1920s, the use of petrified wood in construction became popular in Texas and throughout the American Southwest. This was due in part to the design of National Park Service buildings in the West which utilized natural materials and style which came to be known as "NPS Rustic." Residences built or clad with petrified wood were sometimes called "stone tree houses." Rockdale businessman H.H. Coffield had a home and grounds facing State Highway 43 (later U.S. Highway 79) clad with petrified wood in the 1930s for use as a rental property. The main house was designed with a cross-gable floor plan with a petrified wood exterior along walls and modified buttresses, brick trim around the entry and around rectangular and circular window openings, and decorative bargeboard along the projecting gables. Additional historic buildings and structures include a decorative well and a detached two-car garage. The property previously featured a low stone fence facing the road. The architect for the property is unknown. In 1995, the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce acquired the property for use as their offices. Founded in 1952, the Chamber of Commerce was a successor of the Young Men's Business League. The Chamber of Commerce continued a legacy of improving Rockdale's economic development by promoting historical tourism and preservation and working jointly with businesses in Rockdale. Besides this historic homestead, petrified wood buildings and structures can be found in Rockdale's Fair Park and throughout Milam County. They are part of the heritage and distinctive cultural landscape of the area. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2018 |
