The Town of Paint Rock

Single-mindedly, and driving with tunnel vision on our way to Fort Chadbourne in Bronte, Michael slows down on Highway 183 as we hit the city limits of the tiny burg of Paint Rock, population 308. He focuses only on the road; I am distracted by a sign painted on the side of a cracked and time-worn stone building. Large White letters on a black background almost shout — HAND WOVEN – WOOL RUGS – SADDLE BLANKETS.

I am more intrigued by the romance of saddle blankets that are hand-woven in this western outpost than I am with a decorative item, and I don’t even own a horse — nor can I ride! But I continue to stare at the building. When we drive past the front I see an open door and almost shout, “They are open! We have to stop!”

I did not speak quickly enough it seems; it is too late for Michael to stop. He drives to the first street he sees off the highway — not that there are any cars in sight anywhere — to make a U-turn.

We look up and notice stately elegance towering above us. Before Michael has a chance to execute his turn, I ask him once again to stop so we can take pictures of this Concho County edifice. We may as well be on a Texas Courthouse Tour for all the courts of law we continue bumping into; photographing every one of these buildings in Texas has always been my dream — an excuse to go exploring.

Concho County and Its Courthouse

Concho County’s Courthouse was built in 1886, and the architects responsible for the “French Second Empire” style, also planned and constructed the first main building at the University of Texas. The historic old building is truly beautiful, lit by the morning sun with the background of a brilliant blue sky — photograph worthy for sure.

The informative sign says the courthouse was built using rusticated stone from a nearby quarry. Never having heard the term rusticated stone, I have to find out what it means. Google tells me it is a design “achieved by cutting back the edges of stones to a plane surface while leaving the central portion of the face either rough or projecting markedly.”

I learn more. Concho County, with a current population of a little over 3,300 residents, was named for the Concho River. The river, in turn, was named for the abundance of mussel shells found in the river bed — concho meaning shell in Spanish.

I also discover that the region’s earliest inhabitants can be traced back to at least 8,000 BC, possibly further back than that. I think most of us, including me, never really think about Texas in those prehistoric terms — wondering what was. As a child, I thought Texas History began with the Alamo, and Disney’s version of Davy Crockett. Perhaps someone tried teaching me our ancient history somewhere along the way, and I just didn’t pay attention.

Texas Handwoven Creations

After too many photos are taken of the old courthouse by both of us, we return to the home of Ingrid’s Hand-Woven Rugs, Inc.

In this 100-year-old stone building, Ingrid’s is divided into two spaces: the retail side and the artisan’s side. I stay where I first set foot and begin examining all of the beautiful woven goods for sale; Michael immediately walks through the door to check out the weavers and their world.

I am told I may touch the fibers and feel the quality of the placemats, table runners, wall hangings, and rugs lining the shelves and walls. All I can think about are my friends with ranches in the country that would probably swoon over the prospect of owning some of these treasures. And friends in Mexico that own horses. Or the interior decorators/designers that I know. I believe, if any of them were in my place right now, they would think they had died and gone to textile heaven. 

Walking around the area, I try hard to determine someplace in my home where I have room or can make room for at least one of these treasures. Suddenly Michael is at my elbow, telling me I have to walk into the next room.  He must have heard me thinking.

The Weavers

In the heart of the weaver’s world, I am feeling a bit guilty about taking up the time of a friendly employee who tells me the story of Ingrid’s, showing me exactly how the weaving process is done. Bottom line — you thread a single long strand of natural fiber one at a time into the loom, magic happens, then you thread the loom again.

The weavers use fibers from alpaca, llama, buffalo, mohair, and sheep wool. They skirt, pick, card, spin, and weave; I only recognize spinning and weaving. Realizing that if I really want to understand the entire process, I need to do a lot of research on the other terms. The only thing that I am truly aware of is that the small number of employees who work here are an amazing group of artisans.  

I see works in progress and some that are finished, learning that Texas Handwoven Creations have customers from all over the United States and a few in Canada. There are many designs for assorted items from which to choose. Ingrid’s is also open to creating a custom work that someone designs themselves, be it stripes, solids, or a pattern running through the rug, placemat, runner, or saddle blanket.

Texas Handwoven Creations, DBA Ingrid’s, is possibly the only business in the United States that creates an all-natural jute core-spun yarn and produces a hand-woven finished product. This town, this business, is a treasure waiting to be discovered by the proverbial masses.

We make our way to the very back room, and I see the largest weaving loom they use. I think I’ve found my dream of what can be. Somebody has ordered a 10-foot by 12-foot rug in an off-white fiber; a duplicate of that could be mine, and I know right where to put it.

Paint Rock – The Name

Leaving my textile and weaving lesson, I remark to Michael that I wonder about the origins of the town’s name — enter my portable encyclopedia and its handy Google assistant.

“Michael! We have to come back!” I exclaim. “Paint Rock is named for over 1,500 Indian pictographs that are about a mile away on the bluffs of the Concho River. It is on private property, and they have tours on weekends!”

Texas Handwoven Creations, DBA Ingrid’s Custom Hand Woven, Incorporated, 

Paint Rock Pictographs