In 1905, during an event on the Fayetteville square, a group of men stood on the viewing porch of the Buck Horn Saloon to take a photograph. The saloon had a dance hall on its second floor, and dancers could step out onto that porch for some evening air. In later years the building became the E.J. Knesek Building, and a tin roof replaced the porch. The Fayette County Record ran that 1905 photo next to a current one of workers installing new railings on a rebuilt porch in the same spot.
That porch is back. The building is now the Fayetteville Community Center, and polka bands play there for free on the second Sunday of each month. Only the ground floor is open, though, so that's where the dancing happens. The room where the Buck Horn's dancers once danced is still closed to the public, and the reason says a lot about how this small town got its building back.
A Rebuild, Not a Restoration
The E.J. Knesek Building went up in 1875 on the northwest corner of the square, so it has looked over the square for most of the town's history. The current project started in 2019. That year, about ten residents met to ask what Fayetteville needed, according to the Fayette County Record's account of the project. Jerry Herring, president of the nonprofit, told the Record their answer was a performance theater: "A venue that would house drama, musical performances, lectures, movies, presentations… a real place for the performing arts."
The group looked at a spot next to City Hall, open lots in town and empty fields nearby. Then the Knesek building came up for sale on the square. Several benefactors bought the building and the double lot under it. The plan was to save the old structure and attach a 150-seat theater to the back. Covid stopped the work, and in 2022 a gala at Round Top's Windy Knoll Event Center got it moving again.
Once the architects and engineers finished their work, the Record reports, it became clear the old building "had deteriorated beyond saving." So the group changed the plan. With the City of Fayetteville's approval, they took the building apart, saved as much material as they could and rebuilt it on the original floor plan.
You can see that care in the details:
- The floors. F&R Wood Floors of Brenham installed, sanded and stained reclaimed wood saved from the original Knesek floors.
- The columns. The first-floor columns were saved and reused, then painted white.
- The doors. Hoelscher Weatherstrip & Doors of Houston built the entry doors to the same design and dimensions as the originals. The Record notes the Hoelscher family has had roots in Fayette County for more than 100 years.
- The cabinetry. Eugene Michalsky, whom the Record calls Fayetteville's premier cabinet maker, built the Community Room cabinets. Their counter is designed to double as the bar for events in the Grand Room and, later on, for the theater lobby.
- The porch. The viewing porch from the 1905 photograph is back, with new railings.
The money came the same way. By the time the building opened, the Record reported more than 950 individual donations, ranging from $10 to $500,000. The Record puts Fayetteville's population at around 250, so the gift count is several times the number of people who live in town. The Record also reported that BBAx Architects of Brenham, the firm that designed the renovation, later gave a $20,000 donation.
Why the Dancing Is Downstairs
The public first saw inside at a "First Look" open house on Sunday, September 21, 2025. Dr. Crystal Gully, the organization's first executive director, explained to the Record what visitors would and wouldn't find:
"The 'First Look' Celebration is a work in progress. The second floor of the rebuilt building will not be available immediately to the public as the second form of egress (for fire safety) is part of Phase II."
What opened was the first floor: the Grand Room, a Community Room and modern restrooms. Here is how the building splits today, based on the Fayetteville Community Center's own description:
| Floor | Room | What it was | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Grand Room | Future theater lobby, seats up to 150 for banquets | Open |
| First | Community Room | Corner storefront where a barber shop once operated | Open to the public |
| Second | Grand Community Room, 2,600 sq ft | Buck Horn Saloon dance hall | Closed until Phase II |
| Second | Conference Room | Seats 10, tree-level view over the square | Closed until Phase II |
So the largest public room in the building, and the one with the history, is the one the public can't use yet. The center's site describes the future of that upstairs room with a quiet nod to its past: "And people may once again dance in this space."
The center's homepage says fundraising for Phase II is still underway. That phase goes beyond the second staircase. According to the Record, it includes the 150-seat theater with banked seating and a green room, an elevator to the second floor, a finished upstairs with the larger Grand Room and conference room, and access to the outdoor viewing balcony. The old dance floor opens in the same phase as the theater and the elevator.
What a Year on the Ground Floor Looks Like
Even with only half the building open, it has settled into a regular role on the square. The Greater Fayetteville Chamber's events calendar lists the free 2nd Sunday polka dance at "the new Fayetteville Community Center," 2 to 5 p.m. As a Texas nonprofit, the center is available to local nonprofits and rents to the public for competitive fees. The Community Room is open to the public.
It also fits into a square that had a musical routine long before the building reopened. The Record's history of the project mentions Pick'n Park jams on the square, ArtWalk and the galleries, and Arts for Rural Texas. At Joe's, the town's mayor and friends play guitar and sing on Friday nights.
The Square's Calendar Through December
The fall antique and design shows across Fayette County run through November 1, according to the Chamber. Check each show's own listing for exact dates. After that, the calendar gets back to local rhythms:
- Saturday, October 24 through Saturday, December 5. Diane Peterson's "Local Color" exhibition at ARTS for Rural Texas, 114 N. Live Oak St.
- Sunday, November 8, 2 to 5 p.m. The Majek Polka Band at the 2nd Sunday Polka Dance, Fayetteville Community Center. Free.
- Saturday, November 14, 2 to 9 p.m. Picking Park on the Square, the monthly bluegrass jam on the Historic Fayetteville Square. Lou Lou Barbour hosts a beginner jam from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Old Firehouse.
- Saturday, December 12. Fayetteville's Country Christmas, with vendors, a home tour, a Christmas tree exhibit, music and food. That afternoon, ARTS for Rural Texas opens its annual Holiday Show from 4 to 6 p.m., and a lighted parade circles the square that evening.
- Sunday, December 13, 2 to 5 p.m. The Ennis Czech Boys play the 2nd Sunday Dance at the community center. Free.
The center is at 101 W. Fayette St. Its online calendar also lists other programs, such as its speaker series, so check there for anything outside the monthly dances.
Where to Eat Before the Band Starts
Three places within a short walk of the community center cover most of a Sunday afternoon or a Saturday night on the square.
Hugo's 1876 is inside the Grand Fayette Hotel at 201 W. Fayette St., run by owner-chefs Kathy and George Valtasaros, according to the Chamber's restaurant listings. Hugo's serves dinner Thursday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday, so a polka afternoon can start with brunch, and the 1876 Bar is on site.
Orsak's Cafe, at 121 W. Fayette St., sits on the same street as the center and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Joe's Place, at 120 N. Live Oak St., is the restaurant and bar where the Record places those Friday-night guitar sessions.
The Porch Is Waiting Too
The rebuilt porch is the clearest link between the building's two eras. It's where Buck Horn dancers once stepped out from the second-floor hall, and the 1905 photograph was taken from it. Phase II includes access to that outdoor balcony along with the elevator, the theater and the 2,600-square-foot room behind it. For now, the Majek Polka Band and the Ennis Czech Boys play on the open ground floor, under the room where dancers gathered on that same corner more than a century ago.
The E.J. Knesek Building came back because more than 950 donors paid to rebuild it with its own salvaged materials. If you'd like to talk about historic properties, country homes or acreage near Fayetteville's square, Southern District Sotheby's International Realty is glad to help. Connect with a Local Ranch & Lifestyle Specialist, and we'll share what we know about the land and towns around it.
