Texas bragging rights can get downright annoying sometimes, especially for someone who has spent as many years living outside the state as inside.   Always with the “Bigger and Better in Texas” theme.    Do other states have everything in the shape of their state  from tombstones to tortilla chips?   This is not something I have observed outside of “The Republic.”

Grab a “Panhandle” and dip yourself some Terlingua Pride!

“When I die, I may not go to heaven. I don’t know if they let cowboys in.”

Among the many statistics about which Texas likes to brag are the number of county courthouses – 254, more than any other state.  This seems hardly a fair thing to brag about, given that Texas is the second largest state, the largest of the states being Alaska where there are more moose than men in most places.

Of the 254 courthouses, 139 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   Most of these were built over a 100-year-period from the 1850s to the 1950s, exhibiting a variety of styles from Romanesque to Renaissance Revival.   Some can even trace design lineage to Frank Lloyd Wright, as a couple of his draftsmen had a hand in lending Prairie Style and Sullivan-esque influences to some of the courthouses constructed in the early twenties.

One of the most famous of these Texas Historic County Courthouses is located in our own county seat, just 10 miles away in Waxahachie (pronounced “woks,” not “wax,”) the name believed to be the Native American long way of saying “cow.”

Constructed in 1897 in the Romanesque Revival Style, it is seven stories tall if you count the clock tower.   Made from gray and pink granite with red sandstone carved accents, it is considered one of the most ornately beautiful of all the historic county courthouses.  But the most noteworthy of features are the many faces carved into the sandstone column capitals, ranging from angelic to grotesque.

Legend has it that the stone mason, Harry Herley, who was contracted to carve the columns around the ground level of the courthouse rather fancied the daughter of his landlady at the local boarding house, Mabel Frame.   Infatuated with Mabel, he started out carving her likeness in the sandstone in a flattering manner.  But as Mabel rejected his affections, the likenesses grew increasingly grotesque in his attempts to mock her.   The legend of the sculptor’s scorn unfolds as one walks around the ground level of the overly ornate building.

There are very few facts that support this legend.  Harry did live in a boarding house, and Mabel was the landlady’s daughter.   But this is where the facts end and documentary turns to drama.  Romance and unrequited love.  Gossips and gargoyles.  These are the things of which small town legends are made.

Waxahachie is also known for its Victorian architecture, and annual “Gingerbread Trail” tour of homes which takes place every June.  When I was in High School, I did volunteer duty on the tour, donning my “Granny Dress,” velvet cameo choker, and piling my hair up in a Gibson Girl bun.  My station was the bottom of the staircase, where I recited the nuances and design style of the foyer.  Over….and over….and over again.

Back then, I looked longingly at these homes, dreaming of the day I could maybe have one of my very own.  Now, after eight years of former home ownership, all I can see is a leaky roof, peeling paint, cracking caulk, and termite pest control.   As much as I still love looking at them, I am glad I finally realized I don’t have to own it to appreciate it!

The turn of the century style prevails throughout the downtown area, which has been the scene of many movies; “Places of the Heart,” “Tender Mercies,” and “Trip to Bountiful” among the better known.

But my personal favorite attraction is the “Walks-ahachie” Hike and Bike trail.   Eight miles (four out and back) of paved trail wandering along the Waxahachie Creek, it links the town’s two city parks, Getzendaner, and Lions Park, passing through the cemetery, horse farms, the railroad depot, and even a butterfly garden.    I like this trail because it zig-zags with lots of sharp turns that require leaning at high speeds, my only form of recklessness these days.  😉

Wouldn’t you rather live in the “Crape Myrtle Capital of Texas” than the “Cement Capital of Texas?”

Overpass Art along the trail.

Waxahachie is one of those towns on the cusp of cool.    There is a Harley Store in downtown.   In Texas, that usually means good “brew and que” can’t be far away. 

Downtown also sports a pretty nice pub with an outdoor beer garden featuring live music on weekends.

Waxahachie may not be there yet, but at least it is making an effort. Unlike Milquetoast Midlothian.