Flatonia, Texas

I love an old railroad town. If it is located in the West, all the better. Some have survived, some have not. As commerce and travel moved away from the train, people moved away from the tracks. Fortunately, beautiful examples of late 19th century commercial buildings were often left behind. Flatonia’s historic downtown has largely been left intact, and offers a window into the past. It doesn’t offer much else, but for those who love architecture, it is more than enough.

Named for an early settler, Flatonia was established in 1873 on land owned by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway. It was to serve as a market town for the agriculturally rich area. In short order buildings sprung up on both sides on the railroad tracks, many in the Romanesque revival style.

Easy accessibility and cheap real estate attracted immigrants by the droves. It had a particularly large Czech population, which is celebrated to this day at their annual “Czhilispiel” festival. In the early days the city thrived. They boasted schools, churches, a newspaper, and the sign of any civilized town, an Opera House. Decades later silent movies arrived in town at the Happy Hour Theatre, which was renamed the Lyric in 1929.

Flatonia’s economy was tied closely to the cotton and cattle markets, and fluctuated wildly in the 20th century. Never a metropolis, the modern world seemed to leave Flatonia behind. The cotton economy dropped off, as did most of the businesses. The Lyric closed its doors in 1967, with “Beach Blanket Bingo” as its final show. When I-10 opened in the 1970s, most remaining businesses vacated the old downtown area. By 1985, only six businesses remained.

Modern Flatonia is a quiet town you likely won’t visit unless you are there for the festival. However, it is worth the detour from the interstate. It is a wonderful stop for those that love old buildings, as well as those who love to photograph them. It is also clearly a town that takes pride in its past; murals adorn the walls and the properties are well maintained. The Lyric is even reopening soon, which will inject a bit of life into Main Street.