HISTORIC DOWNTOWN GAINESVILLE

ARCHITECTURE & HISTORY

Gainesville's downtown commercial architecture is predominantly from the early 1880's with a sprinkling of buildings from the turn of the century and 1950's when a movement to modernize was prevalent. A new program, Legends and Lore of Gainesville, will launch this fall providing visitors to downtown an opportunity to learn about the history of each participating building. It will encompass the architectural history, business history and many stories about the events and people that took place in years past. There is much to explore in our historic downtown.

Throughout the 1870's and 1880's the words cattle and prosperity were synonymous to the people of Gainesville. Gainesville was officially incorporated in 1873 and grew into a bustling, booming cow town. By the early 1880's the Gainesville National Bank, the Lindsay National Bank and the Red River National Bank held millions of dollars deposited by cattle barons from all over North Texas. Cattle money financed the construction of the new county courthouse in 1878 and provided the tax revenue to support local schools and the building of public roads. There was also the more sordid side of the cattle frontier. For accompanying the seemingly endless longhorns came their rowdy drivers.

Today as you walk down North Commerce Street you can still see the faint writing identifying the buildings that housed saloons. North Commerce was off limits to children then as the street was filled with saloons and brothels. The building on the corner of North Commerce and California Street housed the Grand Saloon, owned by Mr. Hossapple. The upstairs had been untouched for over a century with the thin walls of the numbered rooms intact. This building is being converted into a restaurant and bed and breakfast named for the saloon owners wife, Sarah. Several of the buildings along Commerce Street have history such as this and many second stories are still intact from the turn of the century.

Further down on East California is the Lindsay House. During this time countless business transactions took place, enormous amounts of cash and huge tracts of land changing hands like the playing cards and drinking glasses in the plush hotel barroom. As many as fifty cattlemen who ranched in the ranges throughout North Texas and the Panhandle listed their business address as Gainesville. Many cowmen resided in Gainesville in the stately and palatial Victorian homes they built. Recognizing the importance of Gainesville as a vital center in the cattle trade, the Cattle Raisers Association held their annual conventions at the Lindsay Hotel in 1882 and 1888. When a local resident who would be hosting the event confirmed the date she immediately ordered a new gown from Paris at a cost of $1,500 (in 1888.) Today the Lindsay Hotel houses Powell Fine Art and much of the first floor structure is in place. The third story was lost long ago.

The majority of buildings lining North, West and South sides of the courthouse square were built in the early 1880's. Businesses have changed throughout the years but what remains is the original tight design of the square. The courthouse is the fourth courthouse to be built on the square. The original, a log structure, was destroyed when an errant bull was distressed by flies and inadvertently entered the courthouse. The courthouse today is of Beau Arts design with a large clock tower, built in 1911. Guided tours are conducted every Friday at Noon.

If you travel down Dixon Street to Pecan St. you will see what is now the Morton Museum. Built in 1884, this building originally housed City Hall, the Fire Station and the Jail. Only the first story remains of what were originally two stories with a tower.
Continue down Dixon to the south and follow the signs guiding you through our historic home neighborhood.

There is so much history in our downtown. The restored Santa Fe Depot and Harvey Girls display, Tyler Simpson building (what we refer to as the first drive through in Texas), State Theater, Butterfield Stage and spectacular churches. We can go on and on. The Morton Museum is a wonderful way to begin your tour of Gainesville as they can provide information, brochures and walking tour information. They can be reached at 940-668-8900.

Print this Page