Belle Plain – A Ghost Town Near Abilene

I've always been fascinated by ghost towns. They stimulate the imagination like almost nothing else does. It is not widely publicized, but we have a noteworthy ghost town right here in the Abilene area: Belle Plain.

The city of Belle Plain was established near Baird, Texas in 1876, and the following year, when Callahan County was organized, it became the first county seat.

 The town had big plans and founded a Methodist college which specialized in music education. The Belle Plain College had an orchestra and brass band at its peak.   I've heard stories of grand pianos echoing off the now dilapidated walls.

Near the college was the dean's home. These structures were Belle Plain's peak achievements. Most of the other structures were made out of wood and have long since gone. The college and dean's home however, were native stone construction and built to last. Remnants of these two structures are all that is left. The main college building must have been a site to behold back in 1885. It soared to three stories tall with a fourth story 'cupola' adorning the top.

Let's allow a few pictures I took three years ago give a real picture of the remaining ghost town that is Belle Plain. There are official markers too, which tell more of the story:

Here is the Dean's house, which sits very near the dirt road going past Belle Plain:

 Eerie remains of the once stately Belle Plain Music College:

Another view of the college zoomed out, as it appears from the road:

A different view of the Dean's house:

Another marker on the road near the site of ruins:

Finally a view of the three historic markers from the road as I found the site with considerable effort:

The city of Belle Plain grew to a respectable 400 people, before the Union Pacific railroad built through Baird and doomed the city to extinction. Baird soon became the county seat, and Belle Plain essentially died out in 1892.

In case you want to make the trip, keep in mind that you won't find Belle Plain on any map.  I won't give detail here on exactly how to get there, since the ruins are on private property.  If you do a detailed internet search, you can find directions.  Just remember to respect the fact that the two remaining structures sit on privately owned land, and that you cannot just walk up to these ruins.  Take a camera with a good zoom lens, and for best results, plan a trip in late Fall or early Spring before the foliage obscures the view.  As you can see from my pictures, I went in late Spring/early Summer, and you can do better.  Let me know what you think.  Do you share a love of ghost towns and Texas history?  Leave a comment here.  You can also see a more detailed history of the town of Belle Plain, with a fantastic picture of the college while it was fully intact and operational!  Go to texasescapes.com.