Mayfield Dugout
a.k.a. 41 BI 52
7 mi. NW of Silverton, Silverton, TXThe Mayfield Dugout (41 BI 52) was constructed in 1889. Since that time, it has been lived in and then preserved by members of the family who built it. In fact, Mr. G. Mayfield and Mr. Alvie Mayfield, local ranchers, were born in the dugout.
This architectural form common to the plains was the response to the immediate environments by the settler. The lack of timber in this area made this the most expedient and least costly type of construction to undertake. Furthermore, the unpredictable and frequently violent weather made it practical.
Mayfield Dugout is one of the few remaining examples of this formerly common type of shelter for the plains and is certainly one of the best preserved. A recent survey of this area (Malone, 1970) located only two other examples, both ruinous, of this kind of structure. A dugout has been moved to the Ranch Headquarters Museum, Lubbock, and one has been reconstructed at the Square House Museum, Panhandle. Thus, Mayfield, retained in its original setting, is enhanced even more in its historical and architectural value.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.