The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 360
426 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
IHempstead. He had four leagues in Waller County, two or three
in Austin County, one in Grimes County, and several in Brazoria
County. The present town of Velasco is situated on a part of
his land, which was never disposed of.
His son Leonard was allowed to stay only long enough to see
the men felling huge trees, and beginning the building of their
future home, "Bernardo." Very reluctantly he and Fielding, his
body servant, returned to Georgia and to college. He did not
come to Texas again until five years later, at the age of twenty-one,
for the trip was a long and tedious one as well as dangerous.
"Bernardo" was a large, rambling log house. There were many
expert carpenters and brick masons among the slaves, and the
house when finished was comfortable and had not the appearance
of having been built with logs.
The logs were cottonwood hewed and counter hewed, smooth
as glass, about a foot thick; the edges were perfectly square. There
was a broad hall fifteen feet wide, with two large rooms on each
side twenty by twenty feet, which made the front of the house
fifty-five feet across. A broad porch ran the full length supported
by huge posts of solid walnut, beautifully polished. There was a
broad staircase in the hall, which led to two bedrooms above, sit-
uated in the two gable ends. There was an old-fashioned fire-
place in each room, built of sandstone, taken from the Brazos
River. Shingles were of post oak, made with drawing knife. The
floors were of ash, sawed by hand, and planed. As was the custom
in those days, the kitchen was built a few feet away from the
house. A fireplace occupied one whole end of this kitchen, on
which was done the cooking. Next to this was the dairy, ten by
twelve feet, built of cedar. Two other rooms were in the back
yard, one for the doctor, who cared for the negroes when sick, and
the other a room thirty by thirty feet, with a rock fireplace in
each end, called "Bachelor's Hall." There were six beds in this
room, and seldom were they unoccupied by travelers, friends, and
relatives. Jared Groce welcomed to his home all weary and heavy
laden travelers. He treated rich and poor alike, sent his servants
to care for their horses, and others to wait upon them. All were
sure of a hearty welcome, and never was a stranger turned from
his gates. Many distinguished men and women were guests at
"Bernardo," and many a consultation took place within its walls.360
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917, periodical, 1917; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101070/m1/366/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.