The Granbury Project

[Rick Waldroup]

Some more photos of Rough Creek Park







Fishing Pier - Early Morning




The first and third photos were shot with an Olympus E-1 with a Leica 14-50 zoom
The second photo was shot with a Lumix LX100

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Daniel-Harris House

Located on Bridge Street in Granbury, the house was built in 1892 by local saloonkeeper, Robert Randolph Daniel. He later sold the house that same year to Wesley Smith Harris, a prominent local furniture dealer and undertaker. It was declared a historical landmark in 1981.



Olympus E-1 with a Leica 14-50 zoom

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Thorp Spring, Texas

The very small town of Thorp Spring is approximately two miles west of Granbury.

Pleasent Thorp, a local farmer settled in the area of Stroud's Creek in the 1850s. However, Indian attacks slowed the development of the region for many years. The city of Thorp Spring was officially established in 1871 when Sam Milliken purchased a portion of the old Thorp homestead. Milliken named the town Thorp Spring, in honor of the original founder, Pleasent Thorp.

A post office opened in 1893 and during that decade the population surpassed 400. Also, during that decade, a trading post was built along with a hotel. However, Thorp Spring was bypassed by the railroads that crisscrossed the country during the 1890s. The population steadily declined over the years and currently there are approximately 175 people living in the small village. The only business left in the town is a gas station/convenience store.



Thorp Spring Park

Of the six major lake parks surrounding Lake Granbury, Thorp Spring Park is, by far, the smallest. It is only 4-5 acres in size and features a boat ramp, a small fishing pier, and one picnic table. It is located off Hwy 4, one mile west of Granbury. It is a beautiful little park that I have visited many times as it is less than a mile from where I live.





My favorite time of the day to visit the park is early morning. My wife and I have picnicked there many times over the years.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Bowden-Kennon House

It was built in 1908 by R.W. Bowden who became a Granbury merchant at just fifteen, when he opened a small candy store. Bowden became a very successful businessman, owning a drug store and a restaurant. He also owned Granbury's first car repair shop in 1913.

Another local successful businessman, P.H. Kennon bought the home in 1914. He died in 1927, but his widow remained there until her death in 1951.

It was declared a historical landmark in 1999.



Olympus E-1 with a Leica 14-50 zoom

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Peveler House


Located on Lipan Hwy, the Peveler House was originally built in 1873 for the Granbury College President. The house has also been inhabited by several of Hood County's sheriffs.

The house was eventually sold to the locally prominent Peveler family. Elizabeth Peveler lived in the house for almost 40 years.

It was designated a historical landmark in 2008.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The First Presbyterian Church


Presbyterians organized their original church in 1879, only a few years after Granbury was founded. Charter members included many of Granbury's original founders such as the Bowden family, the Doyle family, Mrs. Eliza Nunn, and Mrs. Hattie Peveler who was one of the original owners of the Peveler House.

The congregation built this beautiful sanctuary in 1895. The style is modified gothic, with a 3-story belfry and steeple.

It was designated a historical landmark in 1971.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Lees-Bryan House


J.C. Lees, a successful merchant and business owner built this house in 1890. He eventually sold the house in 1895 to S.L. Bowden. Bowden lived in the house with his wife, Maude and their children, until his death in 1903.

A few years after his death, Maude married Hardy Bryan. Sadly, Maude died just two months after her marriage to Bryan. Hardy Bryan lived in the house until his death in 1945.

It was designated a historical landmark in 2000.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Lake Granbury





For the past few years, Lake Granbury has been blessed with a full reservoir. However, the lake has a long history of significant droughts, but the drought of 2014 was the worst in the lake's history. That year, the water level dropped nearly 11.5 feet below normal pool elevation, reaching a historic low of 681.51 feet mean sea level. It was so bad that at Thorp Spring Park, near my home, I could literally walk to the middle of the lake. No one could remember anything quite like The Great Drought of 2014.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Granbury Light Plant

Full time electrical service to area residents arrived in Granbury in 1923 courtesy of the Granbury Light Plant. It was originally built in 1903 by the Granbury Milling Company as a grain mill. Today, it is open for tours on special occasions.

Before 1923, privately owned light companies supplied electricity to the citizens of Granbury. In that year, the residents voted to build their own power plant. The industrial building still houses the diesel engines and other machinery that generated electricity until the plant closed in 1954.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Nutt House

The Nutt House, also known as the "D.L. Nutt Home", is located on Bridge Street and was built in 1879 in its existing location. The house was built for David Lee Nutt who was a very successful local businessman.

The Nutt family is arguably the most significant and influential family in Granbury and Hood County history.

The house in now home to the Bridge Street History Center.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

And the Nutt House Hotel


The Nutt House Hotel started in the home of David Lee Nutt, and his wife, Sadie, when they began offering their personal residence to host traveling businessmen visiting Granbury. At one point, they built an additional wing onto their house for this purpose, which eventually led to the Nutt family building a hotel just a few blocks from their home.

Located in the Town Square, directly across from the Old County Courthouse, The Nutt House Hotel is still in operation today and was recently renovated just a couple of years ago. With only eight rooms available, it is the premier boutique hotel destination in Granbury.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Old County Jail and Granbury's Only Public Execution


The first Hood County jail was a log cabin near the Brazos River that was built sometime in the early 1870s. During that time, a public execution took place in 1876. 79-year-old "Coonie" Mitchell was hung for the shooting deaths of members of the Issac Truit family. The two families had a long running feud over a land dispute. According to legend, the city did not want to erect a permanent gallows in the Town Square, so they built a gallows in a horse-drawn wagon and took Mitchell less than half a mile from the Town Square and hung him. There were only a handful of witnesses, and the execution was conducted by Sheriff AJ. Wright.

Eventually, the log cabin jail was deemed too small for daily operation, and a new jail was built in the Town Square in 1885. The three-story structure was necessary for the gallows erected inside the back part of the jail. However, there was never another execution in Granbury. The building was in use until 1978. It is now home to the Hood County Jail Museum and is open to the public on weekends.

The Old County Jail was declared a historical landmark in 1974.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Rylee-Aiken House


The Rylee-Aiken House is regarded as one of the oldest houses in Granbury.

Located on Crockett Street, the limestone structure was built on this site between 1856 and 1860 by Y.J. Rylee. There are two main rooms in the house- a large living room and a smaller room for the kitchen, each with their own fireplace and stone chimney. The rock house was built on high ground overlooking Rylee's land holdings. To assist in the construction of the house, Rylee hired a group of traveling Norwegians who happened to be expert stonemasons.

Today, it is home to a real estate management company.

It was designated a historic landmark in 2008.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The Brazos Drive-In Movie Theater


In continuous operation since 1952, the Brazos Drive-In Movie Theatre is one of only twenty drive-ins remaining in Texas. In the heyday of drive-ins in the 1950s and '60s. there were over 400 of them operating in Texas. Today, people travel from miles around to Granbury to experience this uniquely American cultural event.

The drive-in was originally operated by Mr. & Mrs. Fort Keith. The first movie shown at the drive-in June 5, 1952 was "The First Time" starring Robert Cummings.


This photo was shot today. The drive-in is open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The movies playing this week are "The Conjuring: Last Rites" and "Weapons".





This photo was shot in 2008 just as the drive-in opened one hour before dusk. The movies playing that night were "Max Payne" and "The Rocker".

 

[Dogman]

I've been enjoying your Granbury photos, Rick. I haven't been doing individual "Likes" but know I do indeed like them all and the project as a whole.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I've been enjoying your Granbury photos, Rick. I haven't been doing individual "Likes" but know I do indeed like them all and the project as a whole.

Thanks for the encouraging words, it is much appreciated.