Johnson, Joseph F., House

Between 1842 and 1860 about ninety concrete houses and commercial structures were erected in Seguin, Texas. Of those, twenty-five is extant today. One of the most noteworthy in its architecture is the Joseph F. Johnson House, built circa 1847-1854. Colonel Johnson was an early settler and prominent resident of Seguin. The Johnson House is a surviving example of the concrete construction that was developed in Seguin by Dr. Richard Parks and is an excellent example of its durability.

Parks is documented to have been in Seguin before 1850, but by 1869 he was living in Tennessee. However, his presence in Seguin has left a remarkable and interesting reminder of early concrete buildings in Texas. The Johnson House, a two-story Greek Revival-style residence built for one of the leading citizens of Seguin, Colonel Joseph F. Johnson, is a major example of Parks' concrete construction.

Parks developed the concrete from the abundant supply of gravel and lime found in its natural aggregate deposits along the Guadalupe River. As Seguin enjoyed steady growth during the period of Parks' residence, the building material and method of construction were adopted readily. Parks was the contractor for many of the concrete buildings and Tobias Meineger (died 1861) is attributed to have been the architect. Little is known about Parks except that he was a native of Georgia and had arrived in Seguin during the early 1840s. He was a chemist by profession but engaged in several enterprises such as the Seguin concrete development and leather tuming with mesquite sap. His Seguin concrete received attention from Frederick Law Olmstead who described the process in A Journey through Texas: "A number of buildings in Seguin are made of concrete- thick walls of gravel and lime, raised a foot at a time, between boards, which hold the mass in place until it is solidified. As the materials are dug from the cellar, it is a very cheap mode of construction, is neat in appearance, and is said to be as durable while protected by a good roof, as stone or brick."

Colonel Joseph F. Johnson utilized the concrete for his own residence which he began in 1847. It was completed several years later at a cost of $10,000 and was built with slave labor. Johnson came to Texas from Virginia in 1844. He was a man of considerable means and brought with him his household and a score of Negro slaves. Johnson settled in Seguin and quickly began the development of real estate in the area. He purchased a large tract of about 740 acres west of Walnut Springs Branch and adjacent to Seguin. On this land, Johnson laid out, and partly developed, a large townsite called "Guadalupe City". His own home was located here as was the Young-Zorn House (Sebastopol) listed on the National Register. Johnson built roads and established a ferry across the Guadalupe River to his townsite which he later made public. The first grist mill for the area was built by Johnson in 1848 as were the first flour mill (1850) and cotton gin (1855). Johnson was made a Colonel in 1854 and was part of a Patrol to keep law and order, return runaway slaves and fight hostile Indians. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Guadalupe College which was incorporated in 1848 and was a recognized community leader. He opened his home to hold Catholic services on Sundays from 1850 until 1873 when the first Catholic church was built. Johnson was elected Mayor of Seguin in 1856 and died while serving in that capacity the same year. He was survived by his wife and four children who remained in the house for many years. Jesse Le Gette married into the Johnson family and for fifty years the house was known as the Jesse Le Gette Home.

In the early 1900s, Thad B. Miller bought the house and lived there through the 1930s. During this time the property was surveyed by HABS team No. Tex 341 in 1936. The present owners, Grady 0. Barnett and his wife purchased the property in 1970, and have made efforts to preserve and restore the home.