Apair of Lampasas residents are seeking to return the historic Santa Fe Depot property to its former glory.
At Wednesday’s Lampasas Economic Development board meeting, Keystone Star Hotel owner Andy Fish said two Lampasans purchased the depot property in May from Austin businessman Rick Hardin. Fish said the new property owners will be leasing it to Lampasas Springs LLC, a group of local citizens looking to make the Sante Fe Depot a Texas Hill Country destination spot.
“There is no foreign investment in this town with this project,” Fish said. “This is all Lampasans who believe in this town and want to invest in this town. I think that is a profound statement for what we are trying to do here.”
Before discussing the depot’s future, Fish focused on its past. He highlighted John Markward, a German immigrant who operated Markward Mercantile and was instrumental in bringing the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad to Lampasas.
“He figured if he could get the rail brought into Lampasas that it would open up the markets significantly,” Fish said. “Instead of people coming in by horse or by buggy to be able to enjoy the springs, they could now come in from all over the country because they had rail access.”
Due to the flourishing railroad, the local economy was able to grow, which led to a new railway depot in 1904 on Second Street near downtown Lampasas: the Santa Fe Depot. Fish believes the same economic boom will happen with these new plans for the depot, which include establishing a railroad museum, a barbecue restaurant, a beer hall and other features.
“Beginning in 2025, the Santa Fe Depot property will return to the reason the railroad came to Lampasas originally on May 1, 1882,” Fish told EDC board members. “That specific reason was the economic impact of tourism and commerce.”
PLANS FOR THE DEPOT
Since 2006, the depot property on East Second Street had been owned by Hardin, who originally was intrigued by the lot’s broom factory, not the depot itself. Eventually, Hardin renovated the historic building and in 2023 developed a 6,000-squarefoot neighboring building for a possible restaurant.
Fish, who grew up near Hardin in the Austin area, learned of Hardin’s plan to build houses on the property which Fish said would destroy the property’s historical value. Fish said he attended a Forward Lampasas meeting where he presented the idea of buying the property to curate it into something unique and ultimately drew visitors.
Fish noted the two owners and the lessees of the property, Lampasas Springs LLC, are dedicated to bringing the depot to life.
“The vision is to create a 1940s railroad-themed destination,” Fish said. “In particular, this would provide multiple diverse attractions. So you are now creating something that will appeal to children on this end, all the way to seniors on this end.”
For the first attraction, Fish said investors have been in contact with two award-winning barbecue operations that have been recognized by Texas Monthly. He believes the current 6,000-square-foot building is more than enough to accommodate a restaurant, as most Austin-area barbecue establishments range from 5,000 to 6,000 square feet.
Another proposed attraction for the site is a beer hall that would go on the freight side of the depot.
“If you look at the depot, the north end of that depot, you have roll-up doors on both sides, and Rick actually built a deck on the east side,” Fish said. “You can imagine during the summertime, have all those rolled up, and now you have a great place to socialize that is sitting in this themed rail yard.”
A key part of the plans for the depot is to bring John Markward’s story to life through a museum on the Santa Fe building’s passenger wing. Fish said the museum could be a way to inform younger generations of the town’s history and partner with school districts to showcase it.
“I think it is important that the railroad museum works in tandem with the school district,” he said. “A part of the curriculum at the school involves transportation, but if you are going to talk about transportation, how about you bring them out and have them climb on a live locomotive and experience what that is about.”
Also, investors are eyeing a 1940s diesel-powered EMD F7 locomotive with a 60-seat dining car and full kitchen behind it. Fish noted that the dining car could not only provide an upscale meal but would show visitors what a railroad dining operation looked like in its “heyday.” He provided multiple photos of locomotives, dining cars and lounge cars that investors may purchase to illustrate the concept to EDC board members.
Fish expressed his view that opportunities for the East Second Street property are endless. Other options include a microbrewery that utilizes Lampasas artesian water located on the property, a children’s ride to cater to family crowds, and overnight accommodations in an authentic caboose.
ECONOMIC FACTORS
Fish read a quote from the American Alliance of Museums that touts railroad museums as tourist destinations that can generate revenue for local businesses and help a city’s overall economic wellbeing.
Fish also included in his presentation statistics from the Heritage Rail Alliance that studied 50 railway museums and reported finding 2.6 million people had visited those sites. Another study from William College indicated a possible railroad museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts -- a town of 43,000 -- would create 2,170 jobs and have a $191 million economic impact.
“They talk about indirect jobs such as hospitality and retail,” Fish said. “These are peripheral things that are not located on the property but are generating a tremendous amount of income.”
The entrepreneur told EDC board members the Santa Fe Depot project could significantly increase sales tax revenue and hotel occupancy tax funds. Additionally, the Lampasas attraction could help neighboring businesses around the courthouse square and perhaps lure more downtown suitors.
Fish emphasized that investors are serious about turning the Santa Fe Depot project into reality.
“This private investment put together has already generated over $3 million for this project,” he said, “In other words, this isn’t something we are coming out and saying, ‘Oh, we got to go beg and plead.’ We are building a railroad museum.”
