The Carpenter's Cottage was crafted by Elmer Watts in the 1930's for his wife, Mary Pfeiffer. Elmer, a local carpenter who owned the Watts-Pfeiffer Carpentry Shop on Saunders, built his home with the incredible craftsmen style built-ins and quartersawn hardwood floors on Saunders across from his carpentry shop where the Kendall County courthouse now stands. Because Elmer and Mary never had children, the home was left to their immediate family, and over the years, has had many owners, including Kendall County, which used it to house the Justice of the Peace. Through all the owners, the original doors, hardware, floors and windows were never damaged or changed, and are still a part of the Carpenter's Cottage.

The reference to Carpenter's Cottage is, of course, because of Elmer but also the God story to the purchase of the house.

The Sprayberrys found the house that was for sale by owner during lunch in May 2005. Ray and Jana called the owners immediately to learn that they already had four contracts on the house. They were invited to visit the home, anyway and fell in love with its charm and history. Although chances were very slim that four contracts would fall through, the Sprayberrys signed the fifth contract thinking that they would never get a call. This was a Monday, and Ray and Jana were leaving for a business trip that Friday.

In DFW airport, they got a call that the other four contracts had actually fallen through for various reasons, and the agent asked if they were still interested. Of course they were, and a dream came true for them to do a historic home renovation.

Ray and Jana considered this to be a definite God incident, and then to find that the home was built by a Carpenter, it all came together as Carpenter's Cottage with the cross. Two years of a labor of love passed where the Sprayberrys pulled up linoleum to find hardwood floors, replaced toilets and sinks, pulled down acoustic tile ceilings and replaced with wood ceilings, learned to texture, tile, faux paint, install tin, and most of all, to be very patient.

LINKS

Make a donation today to the Breast Cancer 3-Day. >


Ten percent of stays at the Carpenter's Cottage are dedicated to > Uganda Tree of Life Ministries.

Carpenter's Cottage is a member of the Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce. > link