Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - May 2006 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Copyright 2006 Victoria Advocate Online (http://victoriaadvocate.com) ************************************************ May 7, 2006 • Beauty in the bank 103-year-old building becomes retreat for Sugar Land couple KENEDY - A building that once held a lot of cash now holds a lot of charm. The former First National Bank building in Kenedy has been transformed into a weekend retreat - a home away from home - for Ed and Kathryn Farris of Sugar Land. The couple owns a hunting lease about 20 minutes from Kenedy and was looking to find a more comfortable place to hang their hats on their weekend trips to the woods. "We always stayed at the hunting camp, and it was kind of rustic," said Kathryn. "The first one we had didn't have any indoor plumbing, a shower or anything. We've been driving here for 25 or 26 years, and coming right by this building." Ed was passing through Kenedy one day about three years ago when he saw the "for sale" sign in the window of the old bank building. From then on, "What started out as a need for a weekend place with indoor plumbing grew into this," Kathryn added. "This" is a remarkable renovation. The building, built in 1903, was in bad shape when the Farrises took on the remodeling project. "It was literally falling down," said Kathryn. Ed concurred. "It was in terrible shape," he said. "There were huge holes in the floors. It was black with slime from old mildew. We hauled out loads and loads of trash. And that was just the inside." The outside had to be attended to first, Ed Farris said. "The roof was shot. The mortar around the bricks had failed. We had to rejoint mortar around every brick by hand. "It's a two-story building, and that's a bunch of bricks. There were different skins at different times on the building. It had been painted. It had been sandblasted. We had to replace limestone that had gone bad with some that was less porous and harder. We had to patch holes. "We took it down to the shell, then started working on the inside. It took much longer than we ever imagined." The Farrises closed on the house in November 2003. The renovation was completed in July 2005. "My wife, God bless her, just said, 'Let me know when it's finished,'" Ed laughed. "I pretty much ramrodded the project." Ed, a commercial real estate developer in the Houston area, said his years in that business helped him with the renovation project. "I have done a variety of things in commercial real estate over the years, including interior planning. Now I develop small retail centers. That helped me. I could see where I wanted to go. I could envision the plan," he said. What he couldn't envision was the magnitude of the undertaking. "I took a really detailed plan and got some good cost estimates," Ed said. "By the end, I added 25 percent and then doubled it. It was amazing to me that it took so long." It took so long mainly because of the condition of the building. Some members of the construction crew would not walk along the Second Street sidewalk adjacent to the dilapidated structure. It's not dilapidated any longer. The cement floors, once less than lovely, were coated with polyurethane, giving it a just-waxed-like shine. The walls retain much of their original look, with brick peeking out from plaster in "holes" strategically coordinated by Ed's design. The high ceilings of the original bank building, more than 13 feet tall, are still in place, adding to its palatial feel, as do the 9-foot-tall classic windows, which stretch 52 inches wide along the building's front. A chandelier hanging near the double door front entrance, although not part of the original decor, has special significance for Kathryn. "That fixture came from the Zion Lutheran Church in Kerrville," she said. "My great-grandfather was one of the founders of that church. I ended up with it when they remodeled the church. This was the perfect place for it." A large fireplace sits along one wall, made in part from some of the old limestone taken off the building. One of the most eye-catching features in the front room is a giant bronze "Lone Star," proclaiming the locale to be "Farris Bank, Est. 2005." Kathryn said friends had the star made for them as a gift. The furnishings came from a variety of sources. "I got that at Goliad Market Days," she said, pointing to one piece. "We got all this old furniture and re-worked it." The couple also had a little help on the interior decorating. Mary Alice Ayers, who is the interior decorator for the Veterans Administration in Dallas, made at least two trips to South Texas to help Kathryn pick out furniture and other furnishings. "We went to San Antonio on two mega-long intense weekends. We shut down Marshal's. We shut down TJ Maxx. They were running us out of the stores," said Kathryn. "The furniture is from all over. We would hit the store that opened earliest first, then make our way all over town." Betty Peredes, a custom home builder in Houston, helped Ed pick out light fixtures and tile for the kitchen counter tops. "All the light fixtures except the chandelier in the front room downstairs are Home Depot or Lowe's," Ed said. "Nothing fancy." Friend Shirley Isbell, who was visiting the new digs for the first time, was excited when she entered the building. "This is so fun, so perfect! My jaw is hanging open," she said. "This is so cool!" Cool might well describe a couple of conversions the Farrises made to the bank's spaces that once functioned in the financial world. The bank's vault was converted into a guest room, which the couple likes to call their "guest vault." Inside, two twin beds await visitors who want to repose where money once was locked away safely. "The vault door works. It's disengaged, but we have the combination and it can be locked. We wrote the combination down several places because we are both old and forgetful," Kathryn laughed. Off another bedroom downstairs, Kathryn points out an almost hidden cubbyhole. "This is where they kept the safety deposit boxes, and we're in the process of putting in our wine racks," Kathryn said. "A wine grotto!" Shirley exclaimed. "How perfect." "We're not going to put anything else in here because we put in a roll-a -way bed, and our 11-year-old grandson likes to sleep in here. When it cools, it stays cool," said Kathryn. Ed had a new staircase installed leading to the second floor, which features a modern kitchen, den (complete with big screen television and another fireplace), dining area, and the master bedroom. The kitchen cabinets are all beneath the counter tops, allowing an open sight line into the den. "The only access to the second floor was an outside cast iron staircase," Ed said. "It was falling down. We saved the iron posts and used them around the staircase we built inside. Whenever we could, we saved materials from the old building." If the two beautifully decorated floors weren't enough, there's more. Another set of steps leads to a deck on the roof, which overlooks the downtown streets of Kenedy. Kathryn said she and her sorority group flew kites from the deck in January, and a youth group from her church used the venue to watch last year's Bluebonnet Days parade. The renovation project has also garnered national attention. Home and Garden Television (HGTV) came to Kenedy in March and filmed a segment for their ReZoned program, which features conversion of public buildings into private homes. "They couldn't tell us exactly when it will air," Kathryn said. "Sometime in the next six to eight months." Karnes County Economic Development Director Terry Trevino, who encouraged the Farrises to apply for the ReZoned program after seeing the renovation during the Christmas Tour of Homes, said, "I think any national publicity Karnes County receives will be beneficial to the community. The preservation of small, rural Texas is important to preserving Texas history. Karnes County is proud of its rich history." Trevino praised the Farrises' efforts. "They truly brought back life into the Kenedy downtown main street. It is extremely important to preserve the small town main streets. They have a lot of character and are part of South Texas history. Preserving the buildings and the main street educates our youth, tourists, and locals that the preservation of history is important and part of our heritage," Trevino said. So far the only drawback to the luxury of the new home are the neighbors - but not the human kind. These have wings, internal radar and expel quite a bit of guano - bats. Kathryn pointed out some droppings on a back patio area. "This building next to us and the one behind us are full of bats," Kathryn said. "And when it's humid, you can really smell it." Ed, needless to say, is pleased with the final project, despite the winged neighbors. "It turned out great. We love it," he said. "We had most of the family down for Easter. We love it here. We are starting to get to know people, and they have been great." And "Farris Bank" has been good for Kenedy, too. * Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-275- 6319 or , or comment on this story at . Slideshow - http://www.vicadhosting.com/slideshow/bank_house/ *************************************************** May 11, 2006 Connally unit to honor correctional staff Advocate Staff Report The John B. Connally Unit in Kenedy and the William G. McConnell Unit in Beeville will join other prison units across the state in honoring its correctional staff for its service and in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the line of duty. The services, which are not open to the public, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the two units as well as at other Texas Department of Criminal Justice Units across the state. Rhonda Osborne will be among those remembered at the Connally unit. Osborne, an office clerk at the unit, died Oct. 21, 2004, of asphyxia in an attack by a prison inmate, who then took his own life. Osborne was 33. Daniel Nagle, a correction officer who was murdered by an inmate on Dec. 17, 1999, will be remembered during the McConnell service. He was 37. Connally Warden Ray Castro said the ceremony will include a special tribute by Chaplain Joe Burke. The formal services will include the roll call of fallen officers who died in 2005 and January, both in Texas and across the nation, and the lighting of a memorial candle. The seventh annual observance is held in conjunction with National Corrections Officers Week. *************************************************** May 19, 2006 Karnes City needs $55,000 to complete park Advocate Staff Report KARNES CITY - The Karnes City park project still has legs. The Karnes City City Council authorized City Manager Larry Pippen to continue work on the city's park project during a special council meeting Tuesday. Pippen informed the council that the final price tag for the project is an estimated $555,389. Of that, $500,000 is in the form of a state grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The matching grant requires the city, as the grant applicant, to also come up with $500,000. The donated 26 acres of land was appraised at $420,000. Pippen praised the support from the community, but emphasized it needed to continue as the deadline for completion nears. "The city still needs to come up with about $55,000 to complete the project," Pippen said. The city's portion of the remainder can be land, labor, equipment or cash. The city manager said he is waiting on drainage and site grade reports before work can proceed. The project must be completed by July or the TPWD funding will expire. *************************************************** May 25, 2006 Karnes City to help with water delivery Advocate Staff Report KARNES CITY - Karnes City is making sure one of its neighbors has water. Tuesday the city council approved an agreement with the El Oso Water Supply Corp. to deliver water to some of El Oso's customers while a storage tank is repaired. According to city manager Larry Pippen, the company will pump the water from its wells in Falls City to a Karnes City elevated storage tank. Transmission lines will then be used to take the water to about 530 El Oso WSC customers north of Karnes City. The corporation has lines in place for use during emergency situations. Pippen said the storage tank repair could take six to eight weeks. He estimates about 500,000 gallons of water a day will be provided. The city council authorized Pippen to negotiate the terms of the agreement. Also Tuesday, the council amended the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board bylaws to change the number of board members from seven to eight. It also approved an annual maintenance and supplies contract with DeWitt Poth and Son. ***************************************************