Then and Now on Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas. Population 8911.

I like to see such precision in a town’s announcement of the number of its residents. Never mind that it was probably inaccurate the day the paint dried on the sign. It’s the principle.

Fredericksburg struck us as the type of town in which the residents took pride in both its history and its present.

The downtown district was thriving. There were no boarded-up storefronts, no “Going Out of Business” announcements, and no “Moved to . . .” signs.

It was as if the town was expecting company and all the shops had been outfitted in their finest attire.

It was the kind of town made for walkers. Many of the buildings showed off their history along with the signs of some present-day repairs and restoration.

Several trees along the main street provided the skeleton around which to decorate for the holiday season.

Even the tree trunk outside the library had an extra touch--eagles were carved into it.

The former Keidel Hospital now houses a wine tasting room and a small restaurant.

I'm not sure what the history of this store is, but I liked the contrast between the deep blue sky and the brilliant white of the building.

In a previous life, the Lone Star Boutique must have been the site of something related to the elephant and the grill work at its top, but even though the history is unknown, the exterior looked beautiful.

No doubt what this building used to be.

And finally, the steeple of St. Mary's Catholic Church was nicely framed with a tree against the blue sky.

A nice day for a walk through a thriving small town.