The Staff Officer's Quarters at Fort Clark are listed as a contributing building to the US National Register Fort Clark Historic District on board the old Fort Clark Army post in Brackettville TX.
The Staff Officers' Quarters are located at the bend of Colony Row where the road passes from the west to the south side of the parade ground. This was once the home of Col. George S. Patton when he was assigned here as regimental commander of the 5th US Cavalry.
From the US National Register Nomination Form on file with the Texas Historical Commission: (
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“Prominently sited on a plateau overlooking the plains of southwest Texas, the structures comprising the Fort Clark Historic District reflect ninety-four years of continuous use as a military outpost. Primarily built by enlisted men using locally available materials, the buildings, constructed over a broad spectrum of time, reflect not only the changing needs of the military, but also the changing construction materials and techniques employed by the builders. Simple stone and wood structures arranged in a typical military complex layout were designed in relation to functional requirements. The existing compatibility is a result of the buildings' unified scale, materials, and massing and creates a rough, yet pleasing, landscape.
. . .
Designed as a typical military complex, structures were arranged around a parade ground used for maneuvers measuring approximately 1680' x 700' with the long axis oriented NE/SW. . . . Although construction of the fort spanned a period of approximately sixty years, the structures comprising the main body of the complex are integrally related to one another and the parade ground, and appear as components of a whole rather than individuals. . . .
The district boundary was established to include the major concentration of structures reflecting the evolution of the fort and excludes most of the new construction. Recent buildings within the district have been constructed at a scale compatible with existing structures in simple expressions of local stone and wood. . . .It is the intention of the property owners to correct the inappropriate applications and develop and implement a preservation plan for the fort that will allow its continued use as a residential resort and preserve its architectural and historical significance. . . .
. . .
Established in June, 1852 as one of a series of protective military posts along the old El Paso Road, Fort Clark in Kinney County stands today representative of the frontier forts established regularly with westward expansion during the last half of the 19th century. Through ninety- four years of use as a military post the fort was continually enlarged and improved to meet the changing needs of the Army. This evolution of the fort is reflected in the structures remaining today which date from approximately 1857 to the 1930s and embody a wide variety of structural techniques and materials. Despite the change in ownership and ultimately usage, the fort still presents the character of a 19th century cavalry station.
. . .
Structure Inventory, See Accompanying Site Plan:
. . .
27. Officers' Quarters, ca. 1885; Altered/Residence - Contributing."
A state historic marker outside the Staff Officers Quarters reads as follows:
"STAFF OFFICER'S QUARTERS
The U.S. Army built nine stone officers' quarters at Fort Clark beginning in 1873. The need soon arose for additional housing for senior staff officers, and this building was constructed in 1888. Built in a T-plan, the two-story stone duplex features a full width front porch and is a good example of military standard housing adapted to the materials and climate of the region. Among the house's residents was General George S. Patton.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990"
A second plaque on this building reads simply:
"Residence of
GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON
While he was stationed
at Fort Clark
1937-38"