Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | The long answer:
It is some property my cousins own. They bought it a year or so ago at an auction. The previous owner (his ex-wife still lives in a stately house on the adjacent property that wasn't part of the auction, so you get the idea) moved in several old buildings from around east Texas and had this whole little "town" set up.
There is about 14-15 different buildings of various sizes thrown together, had wooden sidewalks and everything. The main "building" was made from 4-5 different buildings assembled together. One part (the "front" side of it is in the photo) is the "Cafe", a kitchen and dining room, another part, the "Music Hall", has a decent size stage, hardwood dance floor, open to the second story, my favorite section, the "Saloon" includes a really cool old bar, pool table, big windows, and another part, the "Jail", actually has two jail cells from the old Anderson County jail.
Some of the buildings (rooms) were set up as the Barber Shop, Toy Store, Pharmacy, Doctor's Office, Carriage House, etc.
The whole thing was falling into major disrepair. More like a ghost town than anything else. And my cousins and Aunt and Uncle (they're retired so spend a lot time out there) have been fixing it up slowly but surely.
They fixed up the two story "Pharmacy" as thier apartment, added new plumbing and septic system, redid electrical, had to tear up the sidewalks as you would fall through, And most importantly got the Saloon finished out and stocked up....
Half of the buildings are still in major disrepair, There's this large two story "Mercantile" building, still has a couple of old cash registers inside and an apartment on the second story that used to have access from outside stairs (just like you'd see in Gunsmoke), is leaning over so badly that I would not pitch my tent within 30 feet of the thing as it looks like it's about to fall over any second!
But, they have really fixed up the main building, have three rooms finished out in some of the other buildings as sleeping quarters, a couple of other rooms almost done, completely new bathrooms with showers, added a big AC unit for the "Main" building. And I was down there last Saturday and they were insulating and sheet rocking stuff in the "Music Hall".
Our family has been down there for my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary and for New Year's Eve. Once the whole thing is fixed up they plan on renting the place out for events and setting up an RV park in the rest of the acreage (lots of woods on it).
Apparently the old owner would open the place up on the weekends and have magic shows and what not on the stage. Stacked up off to the side in the Carriage House is some beat up peeling signs that say "Dr. Heeza Quack Elixirs"
So this year it's the "Old Magnolia Town Ovation Fan Club Texas and Region Music Weekend Jamboree, sponsored by Kid On A Pony". Next year it's liable to be the "Dr. Heeza Quack Medicine Show"... |
Texas OFC and region get-together
