Just Passing Through – Navasota, Texas
Navasota seems like the kind of place you visit on the way to somewhere else. You can’t miss its potential. Glorious old homes sit behind ancient oaks along Washington Avenue. A good portion of the historic downtown remains intact. Antique shops and gift shops exist here, but not in the numbers you would see in nearby Brenham. 
The throngs of shoppers go elsewhere for their day trips, but could that mean that this is where the treasure lies?
While there are restaurants throughout the town, the locals we asked, suggested we try M. Bloomers. It’s a tearoom, gift shop, and greenhouse combo, located outside of town.
Even the online lists we consulted for “things-to-do”, mostly spoke of attractions away from the city. It’s almost as if, what’s inside the city limits, is forgotten.
This town is famous for a couple of things — Blues legend Mance Lipscomb was born here in 1895, and explorer Rene Robert Cavelier LaSalle died here in 1687. Bronze statues have been erected for both.
Mance Lipscomb was the son of an ex-slave father and a Choctaw Native American mother. He spent most of his life as a tenant farmer, playing and singing for the enjoyment of his Navasota neighbors. He was discovered in 1960 and began a recording career at the age most retire. There is annual festival honoring him; and a shop and free museum called Blues Alley, where you can learn more about Navasota’s famous musical heritage.
Robert de LaSalle’s Navasota connection is a tragic one. The French explorer ended up in Texas due to bad weather and even worse navigating. He brought with him three hundred French settlers prepared to establish a community at the mouth of the Mississippi River. He missed his mark by more than four hundred miles, landing at the Lavaca River instead. For two years, scouting parties searched for the Mississippi. It was during one of these scouting missions that LaSalle was killed by an uprising among his own men. He was murdered just outside of Navasota.
Of course there is more history here. The Horlock House, an 1892 once-private home, is the town’s history center.
It’s rumored to have its own ghost. Unfortunately, it was closed during both of our visits, so no photos of orbs and shadows this time around.
Might be best to call first if you want to get inside.
There are several listings for local bed and breakfast hotels. We considered staying at Bogart’s Casa Blanca, before deciding to end our day elsewhere. The elegant lines of this gracious home mask an eclectic movie-themed interior.
Its twelve rooms recreate the opulence of a by-gone era in film. From the silk canopy and chandelier in the Marilyn Monroe Room to the Arabian Knights bed and zebra rug in Bogart’s, each of the twelve rooms make quite a statement. There is a spa and a pool and pastoral grounds to stroll. The people at Bogart’s seem to understand that this place could be a destination unto itself.
Navasota seems to be waiting for someone to wake it from a long sleep. It would be easy to do.
Along the railroad track, two historic structures are for sale and awaiting revitalization.
What a great inn this old place would make.
It has amazing gingerbread trim and its own historical marker.
The third floor is a renovated three-bedroom residence. The building is 6,000 square foot – 2,000 square feet per floor. (The asking price is $399,000.)
Next door to the Giesel House is the 12,000 square foot, 1876-vintage, Smith Hotel. Sounds like it needs lots of work, but what a gorgeous place it could be. The outside walls are stone and two feet thick. (It’s about $20 per square foot!)
If we weren’t always on the move, it would be tempting to buy one of these old structures and open our own hotel. We both like trains and meeting new friends and cooking breakfast, but we made a resolution to travel and we’re sticking to it.