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The Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Former Knights of Pythias Hall,
Jewel Lodge, No. 103 for the Purpose of Establishing the Chisholm Trail
Heritage Museum
In The Beginning
In the early months of 2000, a group of citizens from Cuero, in DeWitt
County, and the surrounding counties, met to discuss the possibilities
of a new museum institution. Intended to tell the story of the region's
contribution to the real life and enduring folklore of the Texas cowboy,
the project would become the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum.
The organization's mission is: "to preserve the ranching and Western
culture of South Central Texas through interpretive exhibits, research,
and education programs." In 2001, the board was expanded, and a supportive
membership organization was created in early 2002 with the introduction
of a membership brochure.
[Click on thumbnail images below to view enlargements.]
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Exterior - Front
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Exterior - Back
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Exterior - North Wall
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Exterior - Southwest Corner
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Exterior - Southeast Corner
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As raw ideas matured into action plans, and community support yielded
seed funds, our organization soon faced the vital decision of choosing
a site to make our dream a reality. Every trustee also understood the
challenge involved in raising money for "yet another cowboy museum."
So, in considering our location options, we asked, "How might this
project address the economic, cultural, and educational issues that
face our communities?" and, "Could there be ways for the Chisholm
Trail Heritage Museum to provide leadership in historic preservation,
heritage tourism, and economic development?"
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Exterior - Southwest Garage Entrance
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Exterior - Southeast Corner
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Exterior - Second Floor Windows, Southeast Corner
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Exterior - Southeast Entrance
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Exterior - Northeast Garage Entrance
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Also in 2001, the Museum's Board of Trustees discussed possible sites
for establishing the facility. Several suggestions were brought to the
table — Cuero's National Guard Armory was for sale and there was
also discussion of purchasing part of what was called "Cardwell Flats"
just north of the city limits. This site is where in 1866, Crockett
Cardwell and his trail boss, Thornton Chisholm, launched a drive of
1,800 Longhorn cattle to St. Joseph, Missouri. A search for a historic
building, potentially located within Cuero's downtown historic district,
began and in June 2002, the Board of Trustees purchased the Knights of
Pythias Hall, Jewel Lodge, No. 103.
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Interior - Recreation (South) Room, Wide View
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Interior - Front Meeting Room, East Windows
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Interior - Second Floor Stairway Balustrade and Hall
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Interior - Ground Floor, Looking Up Main Stairway
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Interior - Second Floor, Former Kitchen
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Located on Cuero's main north/south thoroughfare (Esplanade) and
constructed in 1903, the two-story, 10,000 sq. ft. hall was designed
by James Wahrenberger, a renowned architect of the time — and the first
Texas architect with a professional architecture degree. A listing on
the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 had not prevented the
structure's slow and gradual decline and it needed to be saved.
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Interior - Second Floor Hallway Btw. E. Meeting Room, S. Rec. Room and Dining Room
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Interior - Stair Balustrade Leading from Esplanade Entry
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Interior - Second Floor, Front Meeting Room, Southeast Corner
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Interior - Second Floor, Looking Down Main Stairway
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Interior - Second Floor, South Meeting Room Doors to Dining Room
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In 2003, the Museum hired preservation architect David Hoffman to
create a Restoration Master plan which set a plan in motion to
save an architectural treasure from its continued decline and eventual
demolition. However, our actions also meant that the tide of decline
in our historic downtown would be stemmed. By choosing to rehabilitate
this structure, rather than making improvements to a property outside
the downtown area, we believe that every dollar spent on restoring this
architectural gem will multiply in value over time.
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Exterior - Front, Southeast, Phase One Restoration
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Exterior - Second Floor, Front, Phase One Restoration
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Interior - Ground Floor, Looking Towards Back of Building
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Interior - Ground Floor, Demolition
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Interior - Ground Floor, Demolition and Cleanup
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Hoffman presented his seven-phase Restoration Master Plan in 2004
and by early 2005, Phase I had commenced. After completing Phase I,
(second floor window restoration), commencement of Phase II began
in the fall of 2005.
Note how we figured our Preservation Math:
- The Museum will have a "beacon effect," attracting heritage tourism, stimulating the local economy by adding incentive for visitors to stay longer, spending more in our shops and restaurants.
- Preservation funds will create jobs to restore the building in the near term, and the Museum will provide more jobs through its operations in the long term.
- Dollars applied to building restoration will build a museum interpreting an important era in Texas' rich ranching legacy; educating local and visiting students to a late 19th life, which has long since disappeared.
- The restored Jewel Lodge will serve as a model for other historic preservation projects within Cuero's Downtown Commercial Historic District.
- Funds used to revitalize the building's grand second-story meeting rooms will also provide much needed activity space for area school children and senior citizen services.
- Restoring this architectural jewel will yield a fresh, vibrant appearance to Cuero's once stately Esplanade Boulevard.
- Establishing a museum institution in a beautifully restored historic structure will provide inquisitive students a wide array of 'disciplines' that are available for study in our state colleges and universities.
- It is our hope that, in time, the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum will become a point of regional pride, sustaining our sense of place and ownership in a proud Texas heritage. Of course, the value of this kind of community asset is beyond our calculation.
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