History on the Move

ANAHUAC— Built in 1845, the Thomas Jefferson Chambers historical home was moved to its new permanent location, just 50 feet forward and to the side from where it sat before.

Over the last two weeks, the home was moved in a considerable collaborative effort between the county, historical organizations and various moving companies.

“It’s not very often you move a historical home,” said Allison Chambers with Ford Powell Karson Architects.

Because it’s rare, multiple organizations and companies joined the effort.

The actual moving was a joint effort by Cowboy’s Services, The Sipe Boys of Texas and Oney House Moving.

“Three heads are always better than one,” owner of Cowboy’s Services, Bubba Jannise, said.

Clint Sipe of The Sipe Boys of Texas explained that he and Jannise have a passion for what they do, with Sipe saying he is a third-generation home mover.

“It is no secret that history lovers hate to see the house moved even one inch,” said Sheryl Shaw, chair of the Chambers County Historical Commission. “But since that is the hand we are dealt, we are thankful that the contractors actually doing the work seem to care about the house and its history.”

The home itself was owned by Chambers, a prominent historical figure for the community, as the county was named after him.

“It’s a big factor of Chambers County history,” Commissioner Pct. 3 Tommy Hammond said. “We’re going to be able to move it over here and restore it a little bit. Hopefully, make it a great attraction for visitors to come see the house and learn about our history.”

Shaw reiterated the historical impact of the home.

“To some, it’s just an old house that stands in the way of progress. To others, it’s a prized inheritance full of stories and mystery, an inheritance we, as the current caretakers, are responsible to protect and pass on to the next generation,” Shaw said.

Shaw’s words ring true as Acacia Heritage Consulting conducted an archeological investigation around the home, finding a couple thousand items dated between the 1830s and 1850s after digging around.

AHC Cultural Resource Specialist Max Hall shared that their firm conducted the investigation to monitor potential impacts.

Items found include glass, ceramics and more. Notably, a coronation medallion was found from Queen Victoria’s coronation, which was in 1838.

Hall said they will try to pick out notable artifacts to hopefully save a couple hundred. These representative samples will include items representing culture or other, such as ceramics with significant markings or designs.

AHC Architectural Historian Nicholas Fuqua said it’s very rare for a historical home to be moved and his firm worked with the Texas Historical Commission to keep the historical status of the home.

Clint Sipe of The Sipe Boys of Texas explained how the actual moving process works.

First, moving beams are installed at the bottom of the structure to cradle the building. To lift the home, crews placed hydraulic jacks under the home and used a unified lifting machine to raise the home about 48 inches off the ground.

The lifting machine was key in ensuring the home had no damage as it lifted the entire structure as one unit. The home was moved very slowly on large remote-controlled dolly wheels so the crew could ensure the structure remained unchanged.

The dollies had hydraulic cylinders to mitigate any imperfections in the ground so the home would remain stable over any bumps on its path.

“The graceful home of General Thomas J Chambers has been proudly standing guard on the bluff of Anahuac’s Trinity Bay, exactly where the General built her, for over 175 years,” Shaw said.

Shaw hopes county officials will keep their word in restoring the home and that the home “will continue to stand strong for another 175 years.”