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Historical Downtown Walking Tour |
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| Click here for a walking tour map | |
| 6. | The Grace Museum • 102 Cypress Originally constructed in 1909 by Colonel W. L. Beckman and named for his daughter, Grace. For many years it was Abilene's premier hotel and the first sight seen by railroad passengers as they approached the city. The hotel, originally only three stories, had a fourth floor and a one-story section on the ground floor added in 1924. In 1946 it was remodeled and the named changed to the Drake. The hotel closed in 1973 when its boiler failed. The Grace is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1986, the Abilene Preservation League purchased the hotel in order to preserve it. It was renovated and restored in 1992. |
| 7. | Abilene Reporter News • 101 Cypress The Reporter News is Abilene's oldest business and was founded in a tent by Charles E. Gilbert in 1881, just a few months after the town was founded. The first copies of the newspaper were printed on a “G Wash” press similar to the one on display at the Abilene Reporter News). The building, although not an historic structure, has a Texas State Historic Marker noting the paper's prominent role in Abilene's growth and development. |
| 8. | Compton Building • 158 Cypress Built c. 1923, the Compton Building housed a drug store and cleaners for many years. The second floor was used for medical offices. The building, after many years of standing vacant, was rehabilitated in 1993 and opened as a restaurant. |
| 9. | Cypress Building • 174 Cypress The original Windsor Hotel was built in 1890 and is the oldest commercial building in Abilene. It featured arched openings on the second and third floors and a 16-foot high balcony with ornate iron decoration. The 1997 renovation returned the facade to its original hotel look. |
| 10. | Vera Minter Memorial Park • North 2nd and Cypress Minter Park is the site of one of Abilene's first businesses, Fulwiler's livery stable. The beautiful Queen Theater replaced the stable in 1915. The Queen was torn down in 1974 and the property was purchased by the Minter family. The park, honoring Vera Hall Minter for her dedicated community work, was developed after a community fund raising effort. The focal point of the park is the 16-foot high, 34-foot wide waterfall. |
| 11. | Paxton Building • 202 Cypress Built by George L. Paxton in 1923 and rented to Gambill Brothers for retail hardware store. Mr. Paxton was President of Citizens National Bank from 1910 to 1934. His name was associated with many of the buildings that were constructed during this period. |
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