Club 21, Uhland, Texas

     This is the first of a series of Watercolors.  I will be doing several of the older well known music and dance halls throughout Texas.  Keep an eye out for the future paintings.
Located just off State Highway 21 in Uhland, Texas, between Bastrop and San Marcos, Club 21 was one of Texas’s oldest such halls. Constructed by August Garbrecht about 1893 near the Old Spanish Trail (Old San Antonio Road), the club originally served as a saloon and community center for local German settlers. By 1912 the saloon had been expanded to include a dance hall. In 1933 a four-lane, nine-pin bowling alley was added, although it was no longer in use by 2000; that space served as a storage room. In the 1930's the dance hall served a dual role. During the day it provided a gymnasium for local school children, but at night it remained a popular venue for music and dancing.
In the early 2000's Club 21 still featured live music on weekends and remained a popular gathering place for people in the Central Texas area and continued to draw large crowds for dancing, festivals, and local community events. In the early morning hours of October 24, 2010, Club 21 caught fire, the result of an automobile accident at the scene, and burned to the ground. Kay and I used to take the children there when we first moved to the area.  A good old fashioned Honky Tonk with great music. Sad when it burned down.