On Thursday, May 16th, I had the pleasure of joining the Texas Hill Country Trail for their board meeting at the Flying L Guest Ranch in Bandera.  Buck Shannon, The Flying L’s Entertainment Director, met the group and took us all for a tractor-pulled tour of the Ranch.

The Flying L opened as a 542-acre “dude ranch” in 1946 by owner Jack Lapham, a retired Army Air Corps colonel whose father financed the first two oil wells of what would become Texaco.  Colonel Lapham wanted the ranch to be a Texas getaway for those who loved to fly and who

Guest Villa

wanted to learn to fly.  An airstrip was built on the ranch for incoming pilots; pilots would check into the Pilot’s Lounge, receive a key to a villa, and then taxi their plane and park in front of their assigned villa.  Among its many high-profile guests were John Wayne, Slim Pickens and Willie Nelson.

Today, the Flying L serves as a resort and conference center, complete with water park and 18-hole golf course.  Although the ranch has many modern amenities, it also has many buildings from its dude ranch days.  The Ranch Villas, which were designed by associates of Frank Lloyd Wright, are still in use.  The Villas were designed to emulate airplanes, with dormer wings at the sides — the dormers were screen-enclosed until guests demanded the comfort of air conditioning.

Pilot’s Lounge today

The same architects also designed the Pilot’s Lounge where pilots checked into the ranch and received their villa key.  According to Mr. Shannon, the Pilot’s Lounge had been used for storage for many years; furniture had been piled ceiling-high at one point.  Now, the lounge is being used for small parties and meetings.  However, it needs some major renovations: among the problems facing the structure, the large window leaks and the wood-work needs a lot of care.  Upon preserving the building to its former glory, the ranch plans to rent it out for private gatherings and even host some major events like it did back in the day.  Life magazine covered a story in 1947 of a fashion show in the building hosted by Herbert Marcus, of the department store Neiman-Marcus, headquartered in Dallas.

Pilot’s Lounge ca. late 1940′s

The Flying L has some great ideas for the Lounge upon its renovation.  It hopes to raise much of the money for the project by selling “Pilot Club Memberships” – folks signing up for a membership get their name on the Pilot’s Lounge Wall of Fame located inside the building.  The structure is truly a wonderful piece of history and architecture — it’s great to hear that the Flying L recognizes its importance.

To learn more about the Flying L Guest Ranch and about how you can preserve the Pilot’s Lounge, call 1-800-292-5134 or visit www.FlyingL.com.  For information on the Texas Hill Country Trail, visit www.txhillcountrytrail.com.

Thank you to all the wonderful people at the Flying L for their hospitality!

I began in the museum field as a volunteer and I understand how valuable one’s free time is which is why I, and the rest of our paid staff, are so grateful to those folks who show up to help week in and week out.  This being Volunteer Appreciation Week, we would like to say to all of Villa Finale’s volunteers, THANK YOU … we appreciate you!

Tours
Villa Finale will now be offering self-guided tours (first floor only) Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00am – 2:00pm.  Our popular guided tours will continue to be offered on Tuesday at 1:00pm and 2:30pm, and Wednesday – Saturday at 10:00am and 2:30pm.

Admission prices
Guided tour admissions will remain the same: $10.00 general, $7.50 for seniors, students and military.  Self-guided tours (first floor only) will be $7.50 general admission and $5.00 for seniors, students and military.  There will also be an option to upgrade from a self-guided tour to a full guided tour of the entire house.  Members of Villa Finale and / or the National Trust will continue to receive free tour admission.

Carriage House, ca. 2008. Parking available on King William and Sheridan Streets.

Admissions and Museum Shop
The sale of admissions will be MOVED from its current location at the Visitor Center (122 Madison) to the Carriage House located on the grounds of Villa Finale at 401 King William Street (we will no longer be selling tour admissions at the Visitor Center).  Some of our most popular merchandise will also be sold from the Carriage House with some merchandise still available for sale at the Visitor Center.  (The Museum Shop is currently having a 40% off moving sale so don’t miss it!)

Business Hours
The following are the business hours for all areas of Villa Finale: grounds, Carriage House (admissions and Museum Shop) and the Visitor Center at 122 Madison.

• Grounds: Tuesday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm; Wednesday – Saturday, 9:30am – 4:00pm

• Carriage House (admissions and Museum Shop): Tuesday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday – Saturday, 9:30am – 4:00pm

• Visitor Center (at 122 Madison): Tuesday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm; Wednesday – Friday, 9:30am – 4:00pm.  The Visitor Center will be CLOSED on Saturdays.

Please note: all areas of Villa Finale are subject to closures for maintenance or special events on select dates and major holidays.

Parking for Villa Finale
Guests are welcome to park along King William Street or Sheridan Avenue.  The site can be accessed during regular business hours from the front gate on King William or the driveway gate off of Sheridan.

And of course, we are always looking for volunteers, especially with the addition of self-guided tours.  There is minimal training involved (click here for volunteering information).

This is an exciting time of positive change at Villa Finale!  Make sure you stop by and visit if you haven’t already.  And for those of you who work downtown don’t forget, we welcome you to enjoy your brown bag lunch on the grounds of Villa Finale.

Thank you, San Antonio for your continued support!

Folks enjoying lunch at Villa Finale.

It has been such a pleasure to see so many people enjoying Villa Finale’s grounds.  What started out as a First Friday invitation has been so well-received that Villa Finale’s grounds are now open daily 9:30am – 4:00pm Tuesday through Saturday!  Since we made our grounds accessible a few weeks ago, folks have been enjoying the grounds self-guided tour brochure, quiet strolls and even lunch on the property.

After seeing so many of our visitors “tagging” themselves on Facebook as being on our grounds, we came up with a fun idea: a scavenger hunt contest!  Beginning on March 1, 2013 and every first Friday after that, we will be posting a photograph on our Facebook page of an item on our grounds.  The first person to reply to the post with a photograph of that item’s location will win two free admissions to Villa Finale and a Villa Finale / National Trust water bottle (prizes may vary)!  Here are some contest details:

• Scavenger hunt photographs will be uploaded to Villa Finale’s Facebook page between 10am and 11am every First Friday of the month (excluding holidays or maintenance closures).
• Participants may not win more than two months in a row.
• The winner will be publicly announced on Villa Finale’s Facebook page and given instructions on how to claim their prize.
• Employees of Villa Finale and Villa Finale volunteers are not eligible.
• Villa Finale kindly asks that all photographs be kept suitable for all audiences.

Spread the word and be on the look-out for the first “Where at Villa Finale is …” photograph next month!  You can find Villa Finale on Facebook and “like” us here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Finale/136484939748956?ref=hl

Happy hunting!

Having been renovated this past summer, we wanted the public to be able to come explore and enjoy the gardens of this historic site.  Villa Finale’s property backs into the River Walk so access is available straight from the River or street level.  Once you are here, you can take advantage of our house tours available daily.

Grounds are free and open to the public Tuesday, 12:00 – 4:00pm and Wednesday through Saturday 9:30 – 4:00.  A free downloadable self-guided brochure of our grounds is available by clicking the link below or at our website www.VillaFinale.org.

Grounds self-guided brochure

You may also click on the video link below to view a special remembrance of Look South courtesy of our friends at The Pearl.  Thank you to all who made the evening one to remember!

The Mansion project was very special as Mathis got to choose, with the rest of the committee, exceptional American antique furnishings from the best antique dealers in the nation. He also had a hand in choosing drapery and floor coverings, decorative and fine art objects and very likely had a say in the landscape as well.

Mathis was definitely in his element – Texas, a historic house and antiques! And he didn’t have to buy a thing or find room for it in his already-full home!

A letter in the Villa Finale archives, dated March 31st 1983, invites Mathis to the San Antonio Conservation Society Annual Awards Dinner where the Governor’s Mansion received a Special Award for a “restoration that has brought to all Texans a renewal of pride in this symbol of our State’s unique heritage.”

Fast forward to June of this year, when the Governor’s Mansion was finally at the end of a major restoration and renovation, and when I was invited to assist Jane Kartokin, Administrator and Curator of the Friends of the Governor’s Mansion and a member of Villa Finale’s Advisory Council, to reassemble the rooms in this beautiful historic house. I, in turn, invited my colleague Karina Serna, to come and help too. Jane gladly accepted us both, as the job ahead was tremendous!

For four intensive days I transferred myself to Austin where I did everything from dusting and silver polishing to placing furniture and objects in (for example) Sam Houston’s bedroom! Also drank a lot of coffee and folded a lot of packing paper. It was such a rewarding experience working with Jane, Karina (in a setting that was NOT Villa Finale!), the Governor and First Lady’s staff and others who volunteered their time to help. We even had a visit from First Lady Anita Perry, who graciously acknowledged our hard work.

It was most fun seeing the presence of Walter Mathis throughout the house. Many objects that are in Villa Finale’s collection are repeated in the collection owned by the Friends group and displayed in the mansion. When I look at photographs taken after the 1980s restoration, I noted the choices made by Mathis and the committee had not changed at all.

Thoughtful and classic decoration lasts for decades! I encourage everyone to have a tour of this stunning house, now as fresh and lovely as ever! And then, of course, tour Villa Finale!

Mary Jane Nold Mathis, ca. 1880

The firm of Thomas and John Mathis, known as J. M. and T. H. Mathis, greatly helped the improvement of the Aransas Bay pass between St. Joseph Island and Mustang Island by contributing $5,500 to a project that included widening and deepening.  This also gave access to the deeper water of the Gulf of Mexico from the bay.  Among their many other public improvement projects were the building of bridges, county roads, buildings, and the construction of the Orleans Hotel, to name a few.  In 1880, after over a decade of doing business together, the brothers went their separate ways.

However, Thomas Mathis continued doing business on his own in Rockport.  In addition to his ranching operation – he owned 24,000 acres of land along the Nueces River – his financial contributions led to the Western Union Telegraph company setting up business in Rockport, the construction of the first telephone line in that part of Texas, and the building of the first cold storage meat refrigerating plant in the state.  His success was due in part to his keen sense for business as well as his congenial personality which ingratiated him to the citizens of Rockport.

Thomas H. Mathis’s grave in Rockport.

Although involved in many business affairs, Thomas always remained active in his family’s life.  His first wife, Cora Linda, had died of typhoid just a few months after their marriage.  In 1875, he married Mary Jane Nold of Ketucky, a music teacher who had arrived in Rockport to join her parents in 1874.  The couple had eight children whom, despite being financially secure, were taught the value of hard work by their parents.  One of the Mathis children’s most detested tasks was pulling the weeds from the yard of the family home.  According to family records, the Mathis boys would avoid the work by making numerous trips to have a drink of water.  Father soon caught on to their plan, however, and had a water bucket placed close to their chore area to stop the lollygagging.

Mary Jane Mathis was just as involved in the community as her husband.  She was the organist at Rockport’s Presbyterian Church for 35 years until a broken wrist prompted her retirement.  For 25 years, Mary Jane was also president of a ladies organization called the King’s Daughters – her Rockport chapter did much of the charity work in Aransas County.

Thomas Mathis died on March 19, 1899.  Mary Jane continued to live in the family home in Rockport for the next 25 years after her husband’s passing.  For the last 16 years of her life, she lived in Corpus Christi – a portion of this with her daughter, May Mathis Green and her second husband, Harry Watson.  Mary Jane Nold Mathis died on February 26, 1943 and was buried in the family plot at Rockport next to her husband.

Thomas H. Mathis

Thomas Mathis, great-grandfather of Walter Nold Mathis, was born in Stewart County, Tennessee on July 14, 1834 to an agricultural family. At 20 years of age, he moved to Southern Arkansas to attend a school overseen by his cousin, Dr. Josiah Thompson Mathis. A couple of years later, Thomas organized his own school in Warren, Arkansas before attending Bethel College in Mishakawa, Indiana.

Thomas H. Mathis

Lured by the prospect of the livestock industry, Thomas moved to Southwest Texas in January, 1859. Together with another cousin, John M. Mathis, he made a moderate profit through the sale of livestock and was well on his way to growing his business until the outbreak of the Civil War. Forced to close his cattle business due to a blockade of Gulf ports imposed by the Union Army, Thomas turned his attention to tobacco. During the Civil War, tobacco was plentiful for men serving on both sides – however, it was very difficult for civilians to obtain and maintain their habit. Thomas was successful in dodging the blockade and importing tobacco from Tennessee and Kentucky thus meeting Texans’ demand for the product. In the fall of 1862, Thomas left his business to join the Confederate Army, serving until the end of the War, after which he returned to the tobacco industry.

In February, 1867, Thomas and John Mathis relocated to Aransas Bay – by joining forces with other local businessmen, the town of Rockport was founded. In their new town, Thomas and John created the firm of J. M. and T. H. Mathis, built a wharf, and chartered a steamboat. This steamboat, the Prince Albert, was the first to enter Aransas Bay for commercial purposes. Only a couple of years later, the Prince Albert was lost at sea – this did not deter the men, however. In August, 1869, the Mathis’s firm convinced the Morgan Lines, the first steamship company in Texas, to run ships out of Rockport. The Morgan Lines had sailed their inaugural vessel, Columbia, in 1837 and had survived the commandeering of their steamships by both armies during the Civil War.

Not only did the Mathis’s firm persuade the Morgan Lines to run ships out of Rockport, they also became agents for the company. This would be a partnership that would take both Thomas and John’s business to bigger and better places for their families and Aransas Bay.

The irrigation work will start soon adding the much needed sprinkler system to the landscape, especially since we are already in stage two water restrictions here in San Antonio once again. Water conservation and eliminating water waste is very important to us so we added as much drip irrigation to the new system as possible. This will help us manage our water use and get the water directly to the soil where it is most beneficial to the newly installed plant material. In keeping with our organic landscape practices, we are amending all the planting beds with compost to add nutrients and organic life to our soil; this will greatly aid in the health of the plants and in the soil’s ability to retain water.

The landscape renovation project has been in the works for some time now and we’re all happy to see it fulfilling its anticipated promise! Be sure to stop by Villa Finale to see the work and share in our excitement!