Modest Downtown – Pflugerville, Texas

I bought my first house in North East Austin just south of Pflugerville back in the early 90s. That was before the big boom in Central Texas, and the area was surrounded by acres of undeveloped land. Moving here from the Northeast, I knew I would get considerable flack for living in a place called Pflugerville. So, I ensured my house’s address was, in fact, in Austin. So far, so good.

What I didn’t consider was the location of the telephone exchange, which, you guessed it, was in Pflugerville. Thus, whenever my friends called me, their phone bill indicated a call to and from Plugerville.

If I was heading north, I usually stopped to shop or eat in Plugerville, so I passed by fairly often. I heard rumors of a downtown but never saw one. It wasn’t until last year, 2023, that I finally discovered it thirty years after my first visit. It does exist, though the true core of old buildings is only a block long and hidden off the main roads into the area.

I was most impressed with this handsome brick building resembling a bank. Then I noticed the rusty N and K at the top, confirming my suspicion. The corner building and two other brick structures next door show a surprising amount of character in the sprawling bedroom community of Austin. I spent about 15 minutes exploring and photographing this lost treasure like an archeologist before I headed to Drink and Click.

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