Antelope Springs Ranch
Can you put
a squarish structure next to a Monolithic Dome -place traditional next
to futuristic? Won't the combination look odd? Some folks might think
so. But not the McLeods. In 1993 Bonnie and Bill McLeod built their hunting
lodge in Blackwell, Texas: a Monolithic Dome with a 60-foot diameter,
a 30-foot height, two stories, and 5200 square feet of living space that
they named "our Dome on the Range" (Roundup Journal Sept. 1994).
More recently,
the McLeods connected a two-story, octagonal structure with corners to
the dome. Asked why they had not opted for a second Monolithic Dome for
this addition, Bill said, "We think a Monolithic Dome looks best when
it's incorporated with other shapes."
Bill, an
architecture graduate who studied under a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright,
believes that integrating a Monolithic Dome with traditional shapes can
aesthetically enhance its appeal. To gain that enhancement for their dome,
give it an adobe look, and provide continuity between dome and addition,
the McLeods covered the dome's exterior with a twelve-foot-high wall of
native rock. They then had the addition's exterior finished with a similar
rock cover.
A craftsman, walking a wheelbarrow over the land surrounding the buildings,
collected the rocks and then assembled them-like a giant jigsaw puzzle
over the structures' exteriors. Result: both dome and addition appear
embraced in a hug of continuity.
Besides continuity,
the rock exterior displays a collection of ornaments and knickknacks strategically
tucked among its stones. There's a map of Texas, an Aztec sundial, a running
horse and sixteen gold stars. Fourteen of the stars represent fourteen
of the McLeods' grandchildren; the fifteenth is for an anticipated grandchild
and the sixteenth is for a cherished family pet that died. As guests leave
the lodge for their hunting sites, they touch the family-pet star for
luck.
The McLeods like combining old, significant articles with the technologically
new to create a rustic, old-timey, southwestern flavor. In an Abilene
Reporter-News (July 25) feature article, Bill said, "We wanted the house
to have an enduring look, and we wanted something really modern in technique
but also timeless and meaningful."
A bell tower,
that in a prior life might have topped a Spanish mission, now tops the
Monolithic Dome where it serves a dual purpose. Bill said, "The bell is
for emergencies, but the bell tower is mostly for looks."
A door that once graced a building at the Texas state capitol complex
now provides passage between the dome and the addition. Bill salvaged
the huge, heavy door and replaced its damaged areas with stained glass
panels he crafted just for that purpose.
With the addition of a new structure, new exterior coatings, and a bell
tower, the name Dome on the Range no longer suited the lodge. So, the
McLeods renamed it Antelope Springs Ranch. But its purpose remains the
same. During every October-to-January hunting season, the Monolithic Dome
houses fifteen to twenty guests from all over the world.
Bill said,
"We do get interesting guests. No royalty so far, and I don't think we've
had any household names, but we've had many prominent professional and
business people from Germany, Israel, the Caribbean and just about every
state, including Hawaii."
Most are fascinated by the dome and its decor. "We know they like it and
feel comfortable here because so many of the hunters come back the next
year and bring somebody new with them," Bill said. "And when they get
here, they personally want to show the new guest around as opposed to
us showing them around.
"Through
the years," Bill continued, "if anything, our guests have become very
attached to the lodge. We get things constantly for the lodge. They call
and say, 'I have this and I thought you should have it for the dome.'"
The lodge's most significant gifts include an extensive library willed
to the lodge by S.P. Miller, a former secretary of the treasury for the
International Teamsters Union; a collection of military guns and swords
donated by Chuck Stine, the youngest commander of a ship during World
War II; and a rusty, old ice cream churn.
Paul Rodriquez
of New Orleans sent the churn and told the McLeods that his "granddad
used to run a grocery store on the Mexican side of the border near Del
Rio, Texas. Kids from Texas would not cross the border except when granddad
cranked up the ice cream churn. So we called it the friendship churn."
Rodriquez
wanted the friendship churn to have a permanent home and not get lost.
He chose Antelope Springs Ranch for that home.
"Things like
that have been going on since we opened, so the lodge is somewhat of a
museum," Bill said. "We've been given handmade items, paintings and artifacts.
One guest raises peacocks; he sent us peacock feathers. Another, from
Florida, sent us a stuffed alligator."
Six years
after completion of their Monolithic Dome, the McLeods remain pleased
with its structural performance. "This place is always full," Bill said.
"Kids, adults and dogs go in and out of this dome all the time. The dome
has had very hard use and has required very little in the way of upkeep
and maintenance. And-there's the wonderful ambiance the dome provides."
While they are pleased with the look and convenience of the new addition that includes storage areas, exercise room, sitting room, private kitchen and office, the McLeods kept their master bedroom in the Monolithic Dome. Bill said, "Bonnie insisted on that. We're in tornado alley. Since the lodge was built, we had a small twister on top of the hill. It tore the roof off the ranch house that had to be replaced. And it tore up an airplane hangar that had to be reconstructed. And that was a small tornado. We know the strength of the Monolithic Dome and we feel safe in it."
177
Dome Park Place - Italy, TX 76651
Tel (972)483-7423 - Fax (972)483-6662
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