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99 The McDowell house was originally a two-sided dogtrot cabin structure built in 1857. Most of the glass is original and the inside woodwork is long leaf pine. The outside of the house is constructed of cypress that was brought in from Indianola. This is the oldest inhabited structure in Gonzales. This house has a unique story that eventually ends on Saint Francis Street in Gonzales. Originally it was built in the town of Lockhart in Caldwell County, 30 miles north of Gonzales. Lockhart was incorporated in 1857, the same year this dogtrot cabin was built by Samuel James Polk McDowell (1824-1920). McDowell served with the Callahan Expedition in 1855 and later was a Confederate soldier who led the Lockhart Volunteer Regiment. For many years it was considered Lockhart's finest home. As was traditional with dogtrots, the kitchen and bathroom were outbuildings, and brick and stone fireplaces are on each side of the structure. In 1875, the dogtrot was enclosed and the right front addition added for his wife who taught piano. There were double folding doors that separated the music school area from the rest of the house. The house sat vacant in Lockhart for almost 40 years. Then in 2004, in order to save this architectural relic, it was moved to Gonzales and the restoration began. The original front and back porches were reconstructed and electricity, water, gas and plumbing were added for the first time. It functioned as a bed & breakfast inn for a few years, and currently it is the private residence of a 6th generation Gonzalian, Ellen Kennard. J.P. McDOWELL HOUSE 524 St. Francis Street ABOVE – The McDowell house, circa 1857, is the oldest inhabited structure in Gonzales. LOWER LEFT– Currently used as a front parlor, this room was added in 1875 to the front of the dogtrot to serve as a music room for Mrs. McDowell who taught piano lessons. LOWER RIGHT – Dining room features early Texas dining table & chairs, a Welsh cabinet that displays fish and oyster plates. Vintage oil paintings of Gonzales County hang above the fireplace. The adjoining nook contains silver and china from generations of the owner's family and rare Texas maps from the 19th century. Photographs by Tre Dunham, Fine Focus Photography

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