Ulysses Cephas - (1884-1952) The son of former slaves Joe and Elizabeth Cephas, Ulysses Cephas was born in San Marcos. He was trained at an early age to carry on the blacksmithing trade of his father. Known as "Boots" to his friends and family, Cephas eventually owned his own blacksmith shop and was known throughout the county for his skills in shoeing horses and creating superior wagons and farming implements. a respected community leader, he was an active member of the First Missionary Baptist Church and organizer of the San Marcos Independent Band.
A little white house sits between a dilapidated church and a vacant lot on Martin Luther King Drive in the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood.
The now unoccupied building once belonged to Ulysses Cephas, an influential black leader in San Marcos. Cephas lived in San Marcos during the first half of the 20th Century, serving the community as a blacksmith, mentor and musician. Cephas died in 1952, and the house was sold to former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox. The house was commemorated with a Texas Historical Marker in 1989, and the City of San Marcos purchased the house in 2003 using Community Development Block Grant funds.
Located across the street from the Calaboose Museum, board member Josie Mack said the house at one point was going to be incorporated into the existing facilities. Mack worked with founder and former director of the Calaboose Johnnie Armstead, and said she was fond of the Cephas house.
“At one point the house was to be Johnnie’s office as part of the museum,” Mack said. “After she died things have changed, but I enjoyed working with her on the house and the museum.”
The house is located across the street from the Calaboose, but recent meetings held by the City of San Marcos have determined it will not be incorporated into the museum. At a public meeting held in September, community members discussed remodeling the house for use as a community arts and cultural center.
“We’re getting up to speed on the project and are asking the public for input,” said John Foreman, San Marcos Development Services planner. “There seems to be a lot of good ideas, and the Cephas house does need to somehow portray the history of the Cephas family and the community.”
Plans to stabilize the Cephas house’s foundation and remove asbestos are set to occur this year. The city hired Carter Design Associates to create plans for preservation of the house’s structure.
A banner hangs on the house’s facade, labeling the site as the “Future home of the Eddie Durham Museum.” Although jazz music pioneer Eddie Durham was a native of San Marcos, Durham never lived in the house.
“They thought about naming it (the house) for Durham, but I told them to name it for Cephas because he was also a great musician,” said Ollie Giles, local historian.
Giles said Cephas learned to play musical instruments by ear and taught others to play. Giles said she would like to see a display commemorating Cephas’s work as a musician and a blacksmith inside the home. Foreman said members of the Texas Music History program at Texas State have expressed interest in housing musical exhibits at the location.
The vacant lot adjacent to the Cephas house was purchased by the city in 2003. The city hired TBG Consulting Firm to design use of the lot as Eddie Durham Park. Plans for the lot include landscaping, walkways and musical entertainment pavilions. Foreman said he hopes the park can be used for the annual Durham Jazz Festival and by Texas State music programs.
Foreman said the city has met with neighborhood associations and the Historic Preservation Committee will meet next Tuesday with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to discuss the site.
