our story
MEET JIM AND JANE!
Celebrate the beginning of your life together at the tranquil Moon Shadow Haven where the legendary hospitality of the South is offered to all who visit. With easy access to major highways and roads our haven is only minutes away from popular cities like Fredericksburg and Boerne.
Our name, Moon Shadow Haven, was inspired from admiring the beauty of the full moon rising over the rippling creek into a blanket of stars. The word Haven is defined as a place of safety that offers favorable opportunities. So when owners, Jim and Jane Reed, were relaxing one evening on the porch of one of the cabins onsite, glass of wine in hand, they tossed around the idea of hosting events that would celebrate life and love. As the moon began to rise over the creek they felt a sense of peace and excitement that their property would be the site of so many joyful beginnings.
The property itself boasts 17 acres of the most gorgeous rolling hills overlooking 1700 feet of frontage along the ever so popular Johnson Creek. The mature trees throughout the property seem to have been perfectly placed to encourage a slight breeze that visits religiously every evening. Part of our charm is that you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. The onsite accommodations can lodge up to 24 guests to celebrate with you multiple nights.
PROPERTY HISTORY
While the property might have a new name, Moon Shadow Haven, it’s popularity dates back almost 8,000 years and is rich in history. In fact, there are still flint stone and arrowheads strewn about left by the indigenous people, and every once in awhile a new one will wash up on the banks of Johnson Creek where you’ll also find remnants of wagon tracks that were once a part of the Old Spanish Trail. In the late 1870’s the Texas Rangers had an encampment directly behind where the cabins sit now.
In the early 1920’s Ned and Olive Estes purchased the property and made it their home. For many years Olive was the Postmistress for the town of Mountain Home and turned the front bedroom of their home into the town Post Office. In the late 1930’s a large house in Kerrville was going to be torn down and Ned offered to do the demo himself in exchange for the materials. He brought windows, doors, flooring, fixtures, lumber and two clawfoot tubs to the property and used the materials to build the Mountain Home Cabins. Each cabin became a treasured part of many families’ memories as they’d come back year after year and gather for summer vacations and family reunions.
In the 1970’s the property was passed down to Ned and Olive’s son, Loy, and he continued extending his parents’ southern hospitality by hosting some of the same families year after year as they passed down their family tradition of coming to the cabins to each new generation. Some of those same famillies still return every year and it’s a joy to see how their family has grown.
In 2007 the current owners, Jim and Jane Adams, were drawn to the history of the beloved property and decided to purchase it. As they began renovating their goal was not to destroy what was but to breath life back into it and restore the natural ambiance of the property and it’s structures. Many of the original family still live down the road and Jim and Jane have become good friends with them and have enjoyed learning the rich history of what is now Moon Shadow Haven. These 17 acres have always been a source of shelter and peace for anyone passing through and its spirit still draws people here. Jim and Jane’s hope for Moon Shadow Haven is that it will be a warm and inviting place for couples to start their happily ever after by celebrating with those they love most.
