55
Dr. John Curtis Jones began his study of medicine in
Texas. He continued his education at the University
of Edinburg, Scotland, and worked in Dublin, London
and Paris before returning to Texas in 1861 to serve
as surgeon for the Fourth Texas Regiment, Hood's
Brigade, CSA. Dr. Jones was personal physician to
General J.B. Hood. The first hypodermic needle
was brought to the Gonzales area by Dr. Jones in
1865. John and his wife, Mary Kennan Crisp, built
this wonderful Italiante style home in 1885.
The L-shaped structure with wings only one room
wide afforded maximum ventilation. A few years
later an iron fence and brick walkway were installed
and a carriage house was built on the eastern edge
of the property. Cedar gutters carried rain water
through a charcoal filtering system and into an
underground cistern. The exterior of the house is
cypress siding with one piece extending vertically
for the entire two stories. The floor beams are ten
to twelve inches thick and rest on sandstone blocks.
There are free-standing chimneys for the fireplaces.
The house originally had a north wing and a large
cupola. The cupola was destroyed in a storm in
1910 and the north wing was removed later due
to disrepair. The focal point of the entry hall is a
magnificent free-standing curved circular staircase
made of Gonzales walnut. A large pine arch
separates the entry hall from the formal parlor. The
J.C. JONES
HOUSE
108 Hamilton Street
Photograph by Tre Dunham, Fine Focus Photography
