[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 129 (Wednesday, November 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEBASTOPOL HOUSE STATE HISTORIC 
                                  SITE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 2006

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 150th anniversary 
of the Sebastopol House State Historic Site in the City of Seguin, 
located in the 28th District of Texas.
  This 3,000 square foot home was built in 1856 and is constructed 
mainly of limecrete, an early form of concrete, a material rarely used 
in the area. Joshua Young, who lost his son in the Civil War, built the 
Sebastopol House and later sold the house to his sister, who then sold 
it to Joseph and Nettie Zorn. Joseph Zorn served as Alderman, 
Postmaster, and Mayor of Seguin for twenty years, was instrumental in 
the growth and the modernization of the city, and left a remarkable 
legacy in the creation of the trustee-managed, free public school 
system in 1891. The house remained with the Zorn family until the death 
of Calvert Zorn, when the house was rented out to families, including 
that of Robert and Mary Ybarra, who lived in the house for many years.
  The Sebastopol House faced the threat of demolition in the early 
1960s, but was saved by the Seguin Conservation Society to serve as a 
historic house museum until 1976, and was restored to its original 
condition in the 1980s by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to 
preserve this important piece of Texas architectural history. As we 
look back on the past 150 years of this house and its inhabitants with 
pride, we also look forward to an enduring future for the Sebastopol 
House State Historic Site.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to honor the 150th 
anniversary of the Sebastopol House State Historic Site.

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