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Officers’ Row housed US Army officers and their families at Fort Davis National Historic Site in Texas. It sits across the Parade Ground from the Enlisted Men’s Barracks.
Officers’ Row is a row of 13 homes that have been renovated. Two of them were open to the public during my visit to the fort.
Shared Lieutenants’ Quarters
The first home I visited was the Shared Lieutenants’ Quarters, which is the second house in Officers’ Row from the south. It contains rooms decorated with period furniture and items the officers and their families may have used during their commission at the fort.
There are also interpretive panels discussing the original Fort Davis, which stood from 1854 to 1862 (see below), as well as profiles of selected civilians who contributed to life at the fort.
Commanding Officer’s Quarters
The second home open to the public was the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. It sits directly in the center of Officers’ Row as the seventh house from either direction.
The home was set up according to the time when Ben Grierson (1826-1911) and his family lived there, from 1882 to 1885. He lived in the house with his wife, Alice, and their two younger sons, Harry and George. Some of the furniture was personally owned by the Griersons, and an interpretive panel sheds light on what life was like for the family.
The Commanding Officer’s Quarters included much of the same items as the Shared Lieutenants’ Quarters but with more elegant furniture and decor. Grierson commanded the 10th Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He modernized and expanded Fort Davis during his tenure.
Servant’s Quarters
Behind the homes on Officers’ Row are the foundations of the kitchens and Servant’s Quarters. The second house from the north includes a Servant’s Quarters that has been restored and is open to the public. It’s modestly furnished, with this particular room furnished for a woman.
Old Fort Davis
Mixed in with the foundations behind Officers’ Row are the foundations of Enlisted Men’s Barracks from the original Fort Davis. They stood from 1854 to 1862 and were originally crude wooden structures. Old Fort Davis was taken by the Confederates in April 1861 and abandoned in August 1862. Fort Davis was re-established in 1867.
Bachelor Officer Quarters
Finally, to the north of Officers’ Row were the Bachelor Officer Quarters. These two-story structures were used by unmarried officers. Two of the buildings have been restored while the other two are in ruins.
