Bend
of the River
What
were once stables in an Old West ranching outpost are
transformed into living space in a home—with
a few improvements, of course. At River Bend, the world
of old El Paso is in the very walls.
By
Jesse Mullins, Jr.
Out
in the West Texas town of El Paso, life can sometimes
be lived in two worlds—past
and present—or in two cultures—Hispanic or
Anglo. But as time goes by, the worlds seem to blend
into one, until the locale itself acquires an identifiable
culture of its own. So, too, can certain habitations.
River Bend Farm and Ranch is a place like that.
When
a residence has a name all its own, it seems to have
an identity, a style, and even a warmth all its own
as well. River Bend is a home with a heritage to preserve.
The place was established in 1876 by a settler named
Zach White, a native Virginian who acquired some 7,000
acres here. The agricultural operation came to be known
as River Bend because White literally “bent”the
river. He rechanneled the course of the Rio Grande because
his land originally lay on both sides and he wanted his
holdings all to be on one side. (This stretch of the
Rio Grande is not the part that divides the United States
and Mexico.
River
Bend is further upstream, where Texas borders New Mexico.)
The adobe abode that today is home
to Bob and Karen Pofahl was the farm and ranch headquarters
for White’s operations. White’s own original
home lies
a mile or so away and is occupied by White’s great grandson. The Pofahls
bought their property in 1983 and converted the adobe horse stable into their
home. The grounds are enclosed by a 10-to-12-foot-high adobe wall. Six adobe
apartments lying outside the wall were originally quarters for farm workers.
The Pofahls have converted these into guest houses...
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Photographs
by Jack Parsons
The
impressive entrance gate is of three-foot-thick
adobe. The decorated timber displays farm scenes
from generations ago.
The
main residence has a look that is carried out
throughout the property—a classic adobe
style, with no sharp angles, a bright white stucco
finish, and exposed wood beams.
"The
place was established in 1876 by a settler
named Zach White, a native Virginian who acquired
some 7,000 acres here."
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