J. A. Adkins House
Lampasas, Lampasas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built 1868 by pioneer doctor, J. A. Adkins. House material came from patients paying in stone rather than cash. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Dr. J. A. Adkins built this Lampasas house in 1868, in the lean years after the Civil War when hard cash was scarce on the Texas frontier. Rather than turn away patients who could not pay, he accepted stone in place of money — and that stone became the very walls of his home. The house stands as a literal record of a country doctor's practice.
Why it matters
Built quite literally out of medical fees paid in kind, the Adkins house captures the barter economy and self-reliance of Reconstruction-era rural Texas.
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Related people
- · Dr. J. A. Adkins
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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