Life beyond the weeds in the courtyard looks to be returning to a Key City relic of the Bankhead Highway — Abilene Courts.
The 1930 motor court at 627 S.11th Street is one of the few examples of the kind of closed-courtyard precursors to the modern motel along the former coast-to-coast highway. The Bankhead, nicknamed “The Broadway of America,” was the first transcontinental highway in the United States, running from New York City to San Diego.
A stop along a storied road
“The courts opened to great fanfare and continued to operate as such until about the 60s or 70s. Then it turned more into apartments,” said Abilene Preservation League historian Corrender Taylor.
Eventually the small dwellings fell into disrepair and were ultimately abandoned.
Taylor said a few ideas were kicked around to bring the units back as apartments, but nothing ever materialized.
In 2019, the APL took ownership of the lot with the idea to refurbish it. The following year, the units were removed, and the courtyard cleared of bushes and trees that had grown over the years.
Those units were too far gone to repair, but Taylor said the façade with its unique arch was left standing with extra supports.
“That helped us keep the national registration for the structure itself,” he said.
Once plentiful, now rare
According to a 2020 Reporter-News story, a 2014 Bankhead Highway survey for the Lone Star State identified 51 National Registry of Historic Places-eligible tourist courts/motels along its route in Texas. It found only two with the “closed courtyard” configuration, Abilene Courts and Boulder Courts 250 miles to the west in Pecos.
Movement on the motor court seemed to stall after 2020, but Thursday night brought the first outward-facing action regarding the site since its gutting five years ago. APL invited those interested in historic preservation to a public meeting at Abundant Life Apostolic Ministries, a church next door to the motor court, to solicit input on plans for the site.
APL Executive Director Abigail Payne said she took a lot of notes based on the comments of the 30 or so people who came out.
“I liked the idea of incorporating history in a way that people don’t expect,” she said. “We mentioned having educational paneling about the Bankhead Highway to where you learn some history.”
Food was another idea. Jay’s BBQ Shack is across the street, so the public already associates the area with good food.
“Food trucks, pop-up or rotating kitchen or walk-up restaurants seemed to be the thing that people were most excited to talk about,” Payne said.
A place for new beginnings
Taylor, who is also the creative program coordinator for the APL, said the courtyard aspect of the original design has led them to think of how the motor court could create a more communal vibe.
“We’re planning on making it a community gathering spot with small boutiques or small storefronts, whether that’s an artist or whatever it may be,” he said. “Anyone who might be wanting to start up a new business, that’s the people we’re aiming for, to have a kind of a transitional space for them.”
With only the north façade remaining of the original structure, the plan is to reconstruct the courtyard to mirror how it used to appear, only with modern amenities. There will even be two experiential history rooms decorated in the style of the Abilene Courts heyday, and they will be available for overnight stays.
“We’ve completed two of six tasks. So right now I’m raising money for design development,” Payne said. “I expect that that will be done by the end of the year, and I really would like to start construction in three years.”
Cars to come back
APL has sent out grant requests for the project and is talking with local donors as well.
Taylor said they will have a car show in the courtyard June 20 on Father’s Day weekend to build more interest in the project and bring in some revenue for the reconstruction.
“It’s going to be classic cars, so we’re aiming for that 1930s to 1970s timeframe when the travel culture was very high and very popular,” he said.
Pre-registration entry fees will be $15 then $20 closer to the date of the show. Taylor advised checking the Abilene Preservation League’s Facebook page for more information as spring approaches.
How will this project benefit Abilene?
“Anytime that we can save a historical space, that’s a really great thing to do,” Payne said. “I just want to encourage everybody, we’ve got some big things coming.”
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Preservation League to resurrect historic south Abilene motor court
Reporting by Ronald W. Erdrich, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
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