Landmark preserved to honor Killeen's history.
The City of Killeen will host a rededication of the Blackburn Log House Saturday, August 18, at 9 a.m. at Killeen Community Center. The public is invited.
The 155 year old historic structure was closed for almost a year while undergoing restoration needed because of weather damage.
The Blackburn Log House was built in 1863 by John Blackburn in a small community near Killeen called Palo Alto where his family had a 30-acre farm. The house survived at that site for about 90 years.
Camp Hood was established in 1942 requiring much of the area’s farmland and forcing the relocation of many homesteads. The Blackburn property survived until Fort Hood’s expansion in 1954 when it was moved to the property of Blackburn’s daughter Elizabeth McCorcle on Westcliff Road. It remained at that site for more than two decades.
Recognizing the historical significance of the log house and desiring that it be preserved as a piece of Killeen’s history, Jack Cloud purchased the house in 1976 and had it reconstructed at its current location next to Killeen Community Center. He presented it to the City to honor the early pioneers who settled the Killeen area.
Recognizing its significance in state history, the Texas Historical Commission granted the John Blackburn Log House a Texas Historic Marker in 1985 as part of the Texas Sesquicentennial.
The log house sees thousands of visitors each year as residents enjoy festivals, movies and events at the Killeen Community Center Complex. Children have enjoyed the exclusive privilege of going inside when it becomes Santa’s Cabin during annual holiday festivities.
Killeen’s other historic landmarks include Downtown Killeen, the City Hall Building (former Avenue D School) and the Chamber of Commerce Building (formerly the Santa Fe Railroad Depot).