Waxahachie Downtown - The Gingerbread Trail 2009

The Gingerbread Trail 2009

The 41st Gingerbread Trail and Tour of Homes is shaping up to be one the best. As soon as we have the 2009 Gingerbread Trail event information we will publish it here.

40th Annual Gingerbread Trail, Tour of Homes

June 7th and 8th, 2008 Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM Gingerbread Homes and Ticket Information

This is one of the highlights of the Summer Season in Waxahachie Texas. The citizens of Waxahachie graciously open their historic homes to visitors during the Gingerbread Trail. The tour began 37 years ago to showcase the unique surviving homes and public buildings designed and constructed during the era of the ornate gingerbread style.

Before the turn of the Century and well into the 20's, the town of Waxahachie and Ellis County were among the most wealthy and influential areas in Texas. Cotton was KING. The rich dark earth of the black land region of Texas produced tremendous crops of cotton which led to the growth of all sorts of assorted industry and commerce for the area.

With this newfound wealth, many of the businessmen, farmers, bankers and industrialists during this time built large beautiful homes for their families. Many beautiful public buildings were constructed in the city as well.

The Great Depression dealt Ellis county and the cotton industry a devastating blow. Many farmers and businesses went bankrupt. Most people could not accept the fact that the unbelievable prosperity of the past 50 years had come to an end.
From around 1929 to the 1970's, nothing much changed in Waxahachie and Ellis county. Very little new industry sprang up. Many believed that PROGRESS had completely passed them by. The bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde, had even visited the local bank in the 30's but left with very little.

During this time in Texas, many towns experienced change with new growth and new industry. But it also took something away. That progress erased their past. Many historic structures lost out to the developers and land speculators. Many towns lost those things which had made them great. They lost their history and their identity!

gb2 Ironically, in Waxahachie, this absent of progress preserved many of the historic buildings and homes. There were some unfortunate losses nevertheless and some of the historic structures were lost. One of the most devastating losses was the Central Fire Hall in the early 1960s. The Central Fire Station was built in the 1880s and had 100% horse drawn fire fighting equipment. This location is now a service station and store!

Primarily because of this absence of progress, Waxahachie is now world-renowned for possessing an enormous area of surviving examples of early architectural styles, including the gingerbread style from which the Gingerbread Home Tour takes its name. Today, one has the opportunity to visit many of these fine elegant homes and buildings and, for a moment, step back sixty to a hundred years to a time and place long since past. You can also stroll the beautiful downtown square and see the jewel of Ellis County and Waxahachie, the Courthouse!. Completely restored to its original condition, it is really something to see inside and out.

Gingerbread Trail Crafts Festival - Vendor Application PDF

If you are planning on coming to the 2008 Gingerbread Trail or just visting, and would like information and recomendations on available accomodations, please call 972-723-0295 Our accomdations editor has expert knowledge on the best places to stay in Waxahachie and will be happy to help and recommend a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast Inn.

If you would like to sponsor this years Waxahachiedowntown.com Gingerbread Trail Section, please 972-723-0295