Homestead Heritage information
Posted by: empalo <empalo@...>
November 19, 1999: Brazos de Dios, an agrarian Christian community north of
Waco, maintains a simple way of life not so much as a rejection of modern
conveniences but more for the character-building aspects of good
old-fashioned hard work. On Thanksgiving weekend the fellowship throws open
the gates for a three-day harvest celebration filled with hand-cranked ice
cream, fine crafted goods, family music, and tours of the farm.
Nestled in the thick forest of the fertile river valley, the community's
small Homestead Heritage Crafts Village of shops and workshops welcomes
visitors year-round. The visitors center is also the Homestead Farms Deli.
The generously portioned chicken and turkey sandwiches are made to order on
fresh homemade breads. They also offer top choice smoked brisket sandwiches.
A person could make a pretty good meal of side orders of potato salads, cole
slaw, and barbecued beans.
Enjoy the food in the dining room lined with shelves filled with jars of
jelly, packages of herbs, and breads -- all made at the farm. There are also
picnic tables under the shade of the big oak trees around the visitors
center. Don't forget to leave room for some homemade ice cream.
After a big sandwich, a little walking and shopping can be just the thing.
The restored 200-year-old barn showcases the work of the community's
craftsmen. From dresses to soaps, kitchenware to handcrafted furniture, this
is the main retail outlet of the group's production.
A stroll around the grounds of the Homestead Heritage Crafts Village leads
to the workshops. Workers in the Potter's House are eager to show visitors
the skill of making wheel-thrown stoneware pottery. Next door in the
furniture shop, workmen use traditional tools to build early Texas replica
pieces out of longleaf pine, cherry, and mahogany woods.
Across the wood bridge and on the side of a small hill behind the visitors
center, the clang of the blacksmith's hammer rings throughout the village.
The shop makes decorative items for the retail sales as well as large
contract jobs for local construction projects. Above the blacksmith shop is
the village's herb garden, filled with fragrant and colorful plants.
Brazos de Dios (Spanish for "Arms of God" and the original name of the
nearby Brazos River) was founded in 1990 by the Heritage Ministries. The
Central Texas community is home to nearly 200 of the more than 700-member
Christian fellowship. It has been a long journey for the congregation, which
began in a storefront church in New York City's Hell's Kitchen in 1973.
>From New York, the group relocated to New Jersey to begin a small-scale
farming operation. A splinter group moved to Colorado, but the drop in the
economy wrecked their hopes of launching a self-sustaining agrarian
community.
Many of the members reunited in Austin, where they began making cabinets.
Their distinctive product utilized longleaf yellow pine salvaged from
buildings constructed prior to 1920, before it was depleted in the forests
of the southern United States.
On 350 acres between Elm Mott and Gholson, the church group started the
Christian agrarian community which they had tried in other locations. About
20 members farm the land full time, and everyone helps with the
labor-intensive plantings and harvests. Other members work in the craft
industries at the village or hold jobs in Waco and surrounding towns.
Unlike the apocalyptic Branch Davidians, the Brazos de Dios community is
avowedly nonviolent and welcomes visitors. Members offer hayride tours of
the farm on Saturdays. The society provides a resource for others who want
to return to self-sufficient farming, gardening, home schooling, and the
crafts and skills of bygone days.
The members of Brazos de Dios do not entirely shun modern living. While they
do not own televisions, use motorized farming equipment, or read daily
newspapers, most of the members own cars or trucks and have air-conditioned
homes. Their lives are a blend of 19th-century rural life with selective
utilization of modern conveniences.
While the community's methods may be more labor-intensive than their modern
counterparts, the means lead to high-quality products and give the members a
strong sense of character and camaraderie.
Homestead Heritage Visitors Center is north of Waco; exit I-35 at Elm Mott,
take FM 308 west to FM 933, and go north about 1.5 miles to Halbert Lane.
The village shops are open 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday. There is no admission
fee, and they ask that pets be left at home. For more information, call
254/829-0417.
The Heritage Craft & Children's Fair takes place at the village Nov. 26 and
27, 10am-9pm and Nov. 28, noon-6pm; admission is free. The focus is on
activities for the children as well as displays and demonstrations on
farming, alternative energy, cooking, gardening, and other skills. There
will be lots of food and crafts for sale as well as music.
Homestead Heritage furniture and other crafts are also sold at the Early
Texas store, 329 Main in Fredericksburg, across the street from the Nimitz
Museum. The store is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Call 830/997-1812, for
more information