A Devastating Fire Sends Couple On Quest For New Home In Alamo Heights
A young couple, both in medical professions, had just packed their two children off to school and were at work when a mid-morning three-alarm fire destroyed their home.
The call sent the Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and Olmos Park firefighters to the scene. “They were all in training at the Alamo Heights Pool when they got the call and were at our house in minutes,” recalled the husband.
Because of the quick action of the responders and their professionalism, many items in the home were salvaged but were damaged by intense heat, soot, and smoke. A call to Dan Block at K&K Antiques Restoration was suggested by Rob Vogt of Vogt Auction, where the couple had acquired many of their vintage pieces.
Determined to stay in Alamo Heights, the family rented in the neighborhood and began to look for a new home. They were drawn to older homes with high ceilings, fine craftsmanship, and curb appeal. “A dear friend found a house that had just come on the market that we had admired,” said the wife. “And we did not waste time in making the purchase.”
While the new home was undergoing a restoration of its own, Block was busy putting family heirlooms and vintage finds into pristine condition. A case holding arrowheads collected by the owner at his family’s ranch was cleaned. An antique metal dental cabinet, A Globe Wernicke barrister’s bookcase, and a Texas A&M University library table purchased at a College Station Antique store were painstakingly restored.
A collection of Ginny Garcia Art Glass “wallflowers” were covered in soot, but were not damaged by fire. They received a good cleaning and the luster was brought back to life.
After updates to the new dwelling, the family moved into their home a little over a year after the fire. “It was like Christmas when Dan’s truck pulled up and his crew brought everything into our new home,” exclaimed the husband.
Entertaining took precedence with a new kitchen ready for culinary creativity. Coming out of the fire unscathed, a prized Griswold cast iron skillet dating back prior to the 1940s is the husband’s tool of choice when grilling up wild game including stuffed quail, elk, and Axis deer steaks and pork chops.
In the library, a floor to ceiling custom bookcase with cabinets for storage hold volumes of tomes, a wine bar and pieces of art and collectibles. Author Fred Gipson personally inscribed a 1956 copy of the novel, “Old Yeller” to the husband’s mother. Born and raised in Mason, Texas “he was a neighbor who just lived two ranches over from my grandparent’s place,” said the husband. “It was my first book report in second grade.”
In a home filled with vintage collections and treasured family objects saved from destruction, the family has found another Alamo Heights domicile that keeps them connected to the community they call home.
By John Bloodsworth
Photography by Al Rendon
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