Within These Walls / Small Spaces, Many Faces

In the 1870s, the Behrens family lived in a Texas cabin that reflected their German heritage in language, community life, and construction methods, including the use of rocks and mortar between the logs. Heinrich and Wilhemina Behrens emigrated from Germany, brought items with them that they placed in their home, and, like many German settlers, began with a small house that expanded as their farm prospered and their family grew. They built the north room first and later added the dog-trot and south room, while many chores and activities took place outside because indoor space was limited. As families grew, technologies changed, and economies improved, German settlers added larger living spaces, extra bedrooms, bathrooms, and fashionable decorative details, and log homes eventually fell out of favor and were often concealed beneath more modern features. The Behrens dog-trot cabin was hidden under a farmhouse for many years. Living across the Pedernales River, the Johnson family lived and worked in the same community as the Behrens family, and both families represented the determination and spirit of Texas settlers who shaped the land. The cabin’s small spaces served many uses: the north room functioned as a kitchen, dining room, work room, and storage area and originally served as the family’s only living space; Heinrich and Wilhemina, married in 1869, had seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood, and even the children helped with chores, meals, and farm work. The south room served as a sitting room and a place to manage farm affairs by day and became a bedroom at night, while older children often slept in the half story under the roof alongside stored grain and other items. The dog-trot between the two rooms was a seasonal working space, becoming a cool place to work or eat in summer and serving at other times as storage for supplies such as flour and coffee.

Texas · United States