1994 › Critics › Architecture & Lodging

Best Place to Start Austin Over Again: Fentress

We have friends who dream of taking over this charming little town on Rte. 80 southeast of San Marcos, and changing its name to "New Waterloo." With as many lovely old homes per square mile as any burg in the area, Fentress sits alongside the San Marcos River, begging to be loved and nurtured. Its nearly deserted downtown may seem haunted by ghosts, but it also readily suggests a vision of a classic, bustling, restored community. All it would take is 20 or so of us to buy houses there and we could run the place, and run it right. Now that the secret's out, let's not ruin it, okay?