1. Abilene Courts
Address: 633 South Eleventh Street
Designation: Local, National
Condition: Poor
Owner: Private
Building Type: Commercial
Year Built: 1930
Last occupied in 1989, Abilene Courts is on the historic Bankhead Highway, the nation’s first all-weather, coast-to-coast highway. A rare example of a pre-World War II motor court, this NRHP structure is unfit for habitation and has damaged walls. The city suspended condemnation, but the site is still in immediate danger of demolition or natural structural collapse.
2. Burlington Railroad Station
Address: 189 Locust Street
Designation: Local, National
Condition: Poor
Owner: Lone Star Railroad In
Building Type: Commercial
Year Built: 1929
Burlington Railroad Station expanded railroad travel to the north and south for the city. This building has been neglected for several years and is vulnerable to vandals and disrepair. Renewed interest in protecting this structure can advance preservation efforts at this site.
3. Trolley Car Barn
Address: 1021 – 1037 Clinton Street
Designation: Local, National
Condition: Fair
Owner: Private
Building Type: Commercial
Year Built: 1928
Representing Abilene’s history of transportation enterprises, the trolley system connected the far limits of town and helped Abilene establish a presence by promoting growth of the local business and professional community. The trolley car barn requires repairs and historical protection to restore it to its former glory.
4. West Texas Utilities Power & Ice Plant
Address: 102 North Second Street
Designation: Local, National
Condition: Fair
Owner: AEP Texas North Generation Co LLC
Building Type: Industry/Processing; Electricity generating plant for most of 20th century; ice plant until 1951
Year Built: 1922
Funding has been provided to the Abilene Preservation League from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the 2021 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2021. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this (program, exhibition, website, email) do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.