Adobe Ocotillo (AO) Ranch
Croesus Canyon Road, Big Bend
Terlingua - Lajitas, Texas
Marcus Whitfield - Ranch Owner / Operator
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For Questions or More Info, email me at Marcus@TheWhitfieldCo.com
In March, 2000, construction began on this adobe house. The house is located between the towns of Terlingua and Lajitas, Texas, near the Mexican border and Big Bend National Park. The house sits on 240 acres of Chihuahuan Desert and is approximately 2 miles due north of the new Lajitas International Airport, and is 10 minutes from the Lajitas Resort and Golf Course. The mountains in the background (north) are the folded layers of the Terlingua Monocline, with Tres Cuevas Mountain on the left. This was the location of the old Lone Star Mine in the early 20th century. Over the mountains to the right is the old Mariposa Mine.
This house was built by the local Mexicans with the help of Jesusita Martinez and Simone Swan (Presidio, TX) and local adoberos from the Lajitas area. The style follows Moroccan architecture and utilizes unsupported domed and vaulted ceilings. The walls are 1.5' thick adobe brick and the floor is limestone rock. The house is currently off the grid and has a solar and wind power electrical system. Groundwater is available at 1000', but the house is currently on rain catchment, which is very adequate. The resort town of Lajitas and the ghost town of Terlingua are both approximately 5 miles west and east. Big Bend National Park is 30 miles to the east and the Chisos Mountains can be seen from the south end of the property.
The Big Bend area is probably the most remote, scenic, and rugged area of Texas. This is where people go to really get away and get close to nature. The terrain consists of beautiful igneous mountains, volcanic ash hills, igneous dikes, limestone mountain ranges, weathered and eroded canyons, and the rugged Chihuahuan Desert. There is no place in the world like the Big Bend area of Texas. Winters are very mild and wonderful, typically 70-80°F. Summers are great also, but temperatures can reach over 100°F on a daily basis mid-summer. Evenings and nights are always beautiful.
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Making adobes General Construction About the Lajitas -Terlingua Area
Building the foundation The Outdoor Rock Shower The Workers and Friends
Building the domed roof Aerial of House and Santa Elena Canyon Topographic Views and Ranch Boundaries
Building the vaulted roof The Senoritas that know how to work House Info and Layout
New pictures of the finished house added 7/12/06, Click Here
Lost Mile Peak Trail - 45 minutes east of Terlingua in Big Bend National Park
Related Sites and Interesting Reading - Click Here 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Related Links with more information on the Lajitas - Terlingua - Big Bend National Park area, and Adobe Architecture - Click Here