Howard House Update #1 is a quick update on what has been happening with the repairs on the Howard House. Join Arlene and Judy from Project Pride Cross Plains, and Paul Herman and Jeff Shanks from the Robert E. Howard Foundation, as we go over all that has been happening since November 2025 on repairing the historic home of Robert E. Howard.

To Donate to the Howard House Repair Fund:
rehfoundation.org/save-the-reh-museum/
All donations are tax deductible, and 100% of your donation goes directly to the House repair fund.

In The Howard House and Me, several long-time Howard fans share their personal memories of visiting the Howard House in Cross Plains, Texas — what it meant to them, how it felt to stand where Howard lived and wrote, and why it’s so important to preserve the house for future generations.

Featuring Bob Byrne, Bobby Derie, John C. Hocking, Steven Shrewsbury, and Michael K. Vaughan, this heartfelt video captures exactly why the Howard House matters to so many of us.

What’s Happening with the Howard House Repairs is a discussion on the state of the historic house and its damages that need to be addressed to save it for fans of Robert E. Howard to visit. The discussion will also cover the repair fund for donations set up by the Robert E. Howard Foundation to help pay for the needed repairs. Discussing the house and the fund are Jeff Shanks and Paul Herman of the Robert E. Howard Foundation Board of Directors.

Jeff Shanks and Blair Knighting made an official initial assessment of the Howard House, finding problems with the house’s foundation, floors, termite damage, etc.

Over the last year or so, members of Project Pride had been noticing that the floor in certain areas of the house was beginning to sink, and other areas had a spongy feel to them. Additionally, the exterior of the western side of the house showed signs of buckling. At Howard Days this year, these issues were pointed out to archaeologist and REHF Board member Jeff Shanks.

Jeff reached out to colleagues at his company, Kimley-Horn, including a structural engineer and architectural historian. They recommended a site visit and condition assessment. At the end of September, with the assistance of a donation from the Foundation, Jeff and Blair Knighting, the Kimley-Horn architectural historian, conducted that assessment. They were joined by REHF board members Paul Herman and John Bullard. After inspecting the attic, the pantry area, and underneath the house, several significant issues were identified. The pantry and bathroom in the southwest corner of the house have moisture as well as extensive termite damage.

Underneath the house, a more significant problem was discovered. The brick piers that should be supporting the house were no longer present in many places, and Jeff and Blair discovered that instead, the house was being supported in some places by stacks of limestone rocks, loose bricks, boards, pavers, and other items that seemed to have been haphazardly used as makeshift piers. The shifting of these materials over time has led to the sagging of the floor in various places and is a serious threat to the structural integrity of the house.

There is a serious need for a new foundation as well as the repair and replacement of the termite-damaged areas in the pantry and bathroom. Additionally, the work will need to be done in such a way that it will not jeopardize the house’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. In the coming weeks, we will be exploring options to help support this critical work. We will keep the Foundation membership up-to-date on the progress.