Slack Home

1704 Greenwood Cut-Off Road

W. H. Slack, along with his wife, Martha J. purchased the 1,000 acre farm and ranch for $4,000.00.  Built during 1878, the Slack’s masonry home consists of twenty-one inch thick rock walls that came from a nearby quarry.  The thick walls were built for protection form the obvious fear of Indian raids, and it was built to last.  It has been said that the “old rock house” was one of the earliest built in Parker County.  The home, along with two churches and a schoolhouse, made up what was known as the Greenwood Community.

             This type of double dog run structure was common in the early 1800’s. Traditionally it served to separate the kitchen from the living quarters, a feature intended for safety in case of fire breaking out in the cooking area.  The double dog runs served many purposes.  Besides helping cool and protect the home, milk and canned foods were also stored there for keeping cool.  Another feature of the home is a large root cellar.  This cool rock area provided a space for hanging hog meat and storing preserved foods. The cellar also served as a hiding place from the Indian raids.  Port holes were constructed just above ground level so the Slack’s could carefully watch for intruders or Indians.  Lathes for the shake roof were carved from oak.  The hardwood floors featured throughout this unique two-story home also consist of oak.

            Mr. Slack passed away at his home on February 8, 1892.  At the time of his death Mr. Slack possessed an estate consisting of land, cattle and other personal property of the value of $5000.00.  W. H. Slack is also remembered for donating land in 1880 for the school in Greenwood.  The widowed Martha J. Slack sold the “old rock house” in 1895, to a couple named Henry and Nancy Barber.

            Nancy Barber’s brother, John W. Braselton, persuaded Nancy and Henry to move to Parker County from Georgia.  John’s believed that hot baths from the springs of Mineral Wells would relieve the arthritic condition Henry suffered from.  John W. Braselton was a respected and well-known man, remembered best as obtaining employment en route as camp cook in Oliver Loving’s long cattle drive.  Henry went on to become one of the early teachers at the Greenwood School and donated land in1905 for the Greenwood Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon.  Mr. Barber also served four terms as Democratic County Treasurer with an office in the beautiful old Parker County Courthouse located downtown Weatherford.  Despite weather, he drove a buggy back and forth over a four mile dirt road (now known as Greenwood Road) to do this work.  Nancy Barber was a devoted mother and hard worker who kept up with the responsibilities of the farm.  Taking a vacation was out of the question, her only time off was a part of the week at the birth of each of her thirteen children.  They lived at the “old rock house” for twenty-eight years, and are both buried in the Greenwood Community.

            This farm and ranch of over 100 years is still today a live working ranch, raising Longhorn cattle.

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