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142 Grandeur of Gonzales J.F. WOOD HOUSE 129 E. Wallace Street James Franklin Wood, Sr. was born on May 31, 1874, in Gonzales County. On December 13, 1893, he married Agnes E. Beaty. Together they had four children, James Franklin Jr., Horace, Persia Marie "Marie" and one other daughter who died in infancy. James was a farmer and stockman and was tax assessor for Gonzales County for many years. In 1913, James hired local builder Fred Meisenhelder to design and build his Arts and Craft house. Visitors to the home see some of his unique stylings in twelve-foot ceilings, large double hung windows, handcrafted wooden moldings and a wrap around porch. In 1958, James died and left the home to his daughter, Marie, who lived in the home for the next 40 years until she could no longer maintain the home. Ruth and David Gumper bought the house in 1999 and found it in disrepair and in need a major restoration. The Gumpers were dedicated to a true restoration being mindful of salvaging as much as they could. All of the interior woodwork was carefully removed, stripped to reveal the hidden beauty of the original longleaf pine. All double-hung windows were removed and rebuilt, saving as many of the original panes as possible. A new front door was commissioned and installed just before the original front door was discovered in the old garage. The original door is now used in the interior of the house to provide access to the stairway to the second floor. After two years, the 1.8 acre property was reclaimed and is now one of Gonzales' true show places. Photograph by Esther Bell, Gonzales Camera Club

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