Stonehenge II has arisen from near destruction in a field in Ingram. The homemade model of the famous rock garden in England has survived eviction from its homeland.
The faux-rock sculpture used to sit in a meadow surrounded by hills on a country road outside of Hunt. Unlike its counterpart on the Salisbury Plain, there is no question who built this curiosity.
In 1989, Doug Hill, a tile setter, had an extra, large chunk of limestone so he set it in his neighbor’s field. His neighbor, Al Shepperd, liked the addition and asked Hill to add to it. One thing led to another and pretty soon Hill was building a steel and concrete, two-thirds scale Stonehenge to Shepperd’s specifications. The co-conspirators added two Easter Island-style heads, one wearing a sombrero, to increase the mystery.
Texans across the state came to identify Stonehenge with the Texas Hill Country. When Shepperd, a retired motel owner, passed away in 1994 his wake was held at Stonehenge II.
The Shepperd family and Hill maintained the sculptures until the property was sold in 2009. In the summer of 2010, the Hill Country Arts Foundation raised the funds to move the folk art to a new home near the Point Theater in Ingram.
Stonehenge II is just south of Johnson Creek on TX 39. Admission is free and priceless.
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This article appears in April 13 • 2012.
