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Home with a Heritage

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Written by Pamela Stephenson Saturday, 07 October 2006

Photo of Children of G.W. Bohls, original owner of Heritage House.

Heritage House Museum is the former home of early settlers to the area. G. W. and Bertha (Timmerman) Bohls built the Queen Anne Victorian-style home in 1913.

The family farmed their 95 acres using mules until 1922. G.W.’s brother, Otto Sr. and his wife, Laura purchased the property in December, 1925. They farmed and raised their family there until 1959.

In 1935, Otto directed the Civilian Conservation Corps, set up by the US government, to build fences on his land, creating pasture grassland for ground cover to prevent erosion from wind and water. Otto remained active in soil conservation, heading the LCRA Soil and Water Conservation Department for many years, and utilized the conservation techniques recommended after the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s.

Otto’s son, Clarence Bohls, still Pflugerville resident, recalls they did not get electricity into the home until 1936 when he was almost nine years old.

“We had oil lamps and that was how we did our homework on the table in the middle room. When the oil played out, it was time to go to bed,” he said. “When they wired the house, Daddy bought one light bulb for the whole house and put it in the entry room in the front. All of us kids were sitting on the stairs. At eight o’clock all of a sudden that light lit up and it was amazing to have all that light in the room.”

Clarence remembers holiday celebrations in the Bohls’ house.

“The Christmas tree at home, when we started out, had real candles on the tree,” Clarence said. “We never could see the tree until Christmas Day morning. They had a towel over that window that looked into that room. We were forbidden to go in it.”

Otto Sr. and Laura lived in the house until 1959 when they moved into Pflugerville. Clarence took over the farm operation until 1985. He and his wife, Leah (Goetzinger) lived in the house from 1959 until 1966 where they raised their three children.

The Heritage House celebrates designation as a Texas Historic Landmark Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. The house is located at 901 Hutto Road – east of FM 685 (behind the Sonic).

It is open the first Sunday of each month from 1-4 p.m.