James C. Lane House
Wimberley, Hays County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Wimberley builder James Calvin Lane (1902-1976) built this home in 1935 adjacent to a café operated by his wife, Rebecca (Cobb). Lane later built a two-story home and a larger café in the same style on nearby property on the square. Rebecca operated Wimberley’s first telephone switchboard in the home’s living room. The couple sold the home to educator Susie Danforth in 1938. The front-gabled craftsman style home is notable for its “giraffe rock” exterior, a rare style in the Texas hill country. Native rock and poured concrete is embellished with smaller decorations such as petrified wood, decorative rock and fossils.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Wimberley builder James Calvin Lane raised this modest craftsman home in 1935, next door to the café his wife Rebecca ran in the Texas Hill Country. From its living room, Rebecca operated Wimberley's first telephone switchboard, tying a small community together in the early days of rural phone service. The house is prized locally for its rare "giraffe rock" exterior, native stone studded with petrified wood and fossils.
Why it matters
Homes like this record the arrival of modern conveniences—and the often-overlooked women who operated them—in small towns far from the nearest city.
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Related people
- · James Calvin Lane
- · Rebecca Cobb Lane
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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