The facade of one of the most historic buildings in Wimberley was demolished this week after years of sitting desolate on the Wimberley Square following a fire in 2017.
A new incarnation awaits the former Cypress Creek Café property. It will see a new life as a restaurant, boutique hotel and a specialty grocery store.
The property was purchased Dec. 31 by Michael and Morgan Mekuly, owners of Community Pizza and Beer Garden, The Let Go, and the soonto- open Nada Mucho Tex-Mex Heaven, from owner Grady Burnette of Grady Burnette Builders. Burnette purchased the building from the most recent Cypress Creek Cafe investment group that included Trish and Randy Uselton, following the 2017 fire that completely destroyed the business.
A beloved landmark for 88 years, the property was the popular Dinner Bell restaurant before becoming the Cypress Creek Café. The original building was constructed by James C. Lane in 1937. In 1945, it became B.W. Forister Drugs and Notions. Besides selling remedies, B.W. Forister also had a soda fountain and rooms that travelers could rent. Old records show that the building housed the Bunk House Hotel and O’Lane Goody Cafe businesses, although the dates are unknown. In 1973, The Dinner Bell restaurant, owned by Sonny and Laurel Gold, occupied the building until 1978.
“As you probably know, the building that housed the CCC, was the Dinner Bell,” said Grady Burnette, who held on to the property for seven years while waiting to find a suitable buyer. “My grandparents owned the building when Laurel and Sonny Gold ran the Dinner Bell business. For many years it was the only place to go for nightlife. I spent a lot of time there with my grandparents who lived in the area.”
In 1981, it was purchased by Earl and Dorothy Calkins to become the Cypress Creek Café and Buzzard Bar.
Recognizing the building’s rich history, the new boutique hotel will be named The Lane House after the original builder. The grocery store will be called Forister’s Market, but the name of the restaurant remains yet undecided. The Mekulys said they chose the aforementioned names because “we care very much about the building’s history and the heritage it leaves behind.”
Unfortunately, several structural engineering studies found the still-standing walls too unstable to be used in the new construction and demolition is planned.
“We are going to reuse all of the stone that we feasibly can,” Michael Mekuly said. “We love the custom character of the stonework by Mike Bond and hope to reuse those stones as well.”
Since the existing walls are located in Wimberley’s historic district, the plans are subject to a review by the Planning and Zoning Board, overseen by Wimberley Development and Public Works Director Nathan Glaiser.
Louie Bond, former editor of the Wimberley View, moved to Wimberley in the 1980s with her husband Mike who was introduced to the area when he attended El Rancho Cima Boy Scout Camp.
“People fell in love with the Wimberley of the ‘60s and’ 70s,” said Louie Bond in a telephone conversation with the Wimberley View last week. “The Cypress Creek Café, known then as the Dinner Bell, was a symbol of the time when Wimberley really was a small town. It summed up the town’s personality, as if to say, ‘Hey world, this is how we rock.’ The CCC facade was considered beautiful and came to cement a very special moment in time.”
Bond referred to the 1960 to 1970 Wimberley as “Mayberry.”
“It was a time of no government and no school district, before the town was incorporated,” Bond said. “And it was that vision that drew people to move here in the ’80s. Whatever the new owners build, I hope they do something like what H-E-B did, so that it is harmonious with the community. I hope they’ll listen to the suggestions of the people who have lived here a long time and update plans to include some of their ideas.”
Recent plans shared with the public revealed a side portico, arched windows and a stone exterior resembling the giraffe-style stonework that is characteristic of Wimberley’s historic buildings.
“We are still designing,” said Mekuly. “The early rendering that we shared does follow the Historic District guidelines, but we expect some changes.”
Permitting will take place after overall design drawings are approved.
In a Dec. 30, press release, Mayor Jim Chiles said, “The new owners have compiled historical research and numerous photos of the stone walls and are aware of the city’s design requirements for construction in the historic district.”
Chiles continued, “The Cypress Creek Café was a defining architectural landmark in Wimberley’s history. We are committed to working closely with the new owner to reflect its character in a safe structure that will stand the test of time.”
Burnette said he supports the new owners and hopes “they have a great time with it.”
The facade was demolished overnight on Jan. 13.
