For 35 years, Darlene added to the beauty of her community by cutting, styling, curling and coloring the hair of a huge following of loyal customers who came for her skilled services, friendly conversation and ready laughter. And throughout all these years, Don has added to the beauty of his community by building and remodeling with a craftsman's touch. As a self-employed contractor, he has lent his skilled hand to public and private buildings and the homes of many. Darlene and Don love to serve. It's an expression of their faith and an important part of who they are. They don't like to make a move without first consulting God and listening carefully to where he leads them. He led them to Faithville, the village they founded in faith and offer to others in love.
Friends in Bulverde donated an historic frame chapel with a towering gabled roof and steeple - which now makes its home in Faithville as a testament to the faith of its founders. The little church was built in 1920 as a mission of Maria Guadalupe Catholic Church, and today is used as a place of meditation in Faithville. It is also the site of small weddings and other religious services - the chapel holds about 30. Today, Darlene and Don walk the grounds of their tiny village and realize it has everything their neighbors in this friendly community have always wanted - charming shops, spa services, hair salon, bakery, florist, lodging, a fitness center and many other services. They have fulfilled their mission. "Everything we do is on the walk of faith, and it has always been our mission to serve," Darlene says. Welcome to Faithville. Where you can escape for as long as you wish. Make it a day trip with a little shopping, lunch, a massage and a peaceful respite in the Faithville chapel. Or stay awhile in one of the charming rooms at The Ascending Dove Retreat. Come with family or friends for a weekend reunion. Plan a wedding, anniversary, birthday, quinceanera or other celebration. Everything you seek in a getaway or wedding destination is right here. |
Darlene and Don McIntosh share a true Texas love story. Married in 1968, they raised nine children and are proud of their big, loving family that includes more than two dozen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They've lived on the same beautiful, tree-shaded acreage in Spring Branch, Texas their entire married lives - forging community, living by old-fashioned virtues and values, lending a hand to neighbors and making friends. Many, many friends.
Darlene always dreamed of opening a cozy tearoom where she would prepare her delicious baked goods and little sandwiches - giving comfort to all and sharing her gift as a baker and cook. Two days before her retirement from hairstyling, a man appeared in her shop and asked if anyone would like to uproot and move an old Victorian House. She was delighted. "It was free," she said. 
That building now sits as the centerpiece of Faithville - and has since become The Gathering Place - the tearoom she envisioned and much more. The Gathering Place is a popular restaurant where Darlene and her daughter-in-law, Melony McIntosh, serve up homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, grilled items, daily specials and irresistible desserts. They cater parties large and small, both onsite and offsite, for people from many miles in every direction.
People admired the way The Gathering Place assimilated into the community's architecture, and more traveling houses began to come their way, in serendipity. Soon, a small village of charming old houses dotted the acreage, creating a sense of history that makes visitors feel as if this lovely village, with its blooming landscape, ancient oaks and picturesque homes-transformed-into-shops had been here through antiquity.