City officials in Gatesville are beginning to assess the damage after a fire Monday night destroyed a portion of the city’s historic downtown square, displacing businesses and erasing decades of local history.
The fire broke out Monday evening in the building that houses the Gatesville Messenger. State fire marshals say their preliminary investigation found no evidence the fire was intentionally set, according to a press release issued Wednesday. The investigation is ongoing.
Crews with the Gatesville Fire Department — which operates on a volunteer basis — worked through the night to contain the blaze and continued battling flare-ups into Tuesday. By Tuesday afternoon, crews began demolishing unstable walls along the west side of the square.
Temporary fencing has since been installed around the damaged area, which city officials say will remain closed indefinitely.
“The west side of the courthouse square will remain closed for the foreseeable future,” City Manager Brad Hunt said.
The fire impacted multiple businesses, including Leaird’s Furniture, the Gatesville Messenger and A Freedom Bail Bonds. Officials say several of the buildings appear to be a total loss.
In addition to structural damage, the fire destroyed archives housed by the Messenger, the city’s local newspaper — a loss Hunt described as especially significant.
“There’s a lot of history behind me that’s gone, and it really has been felt by so many people in the community,” he said.
The damage comes just weeks after Gatesville’s downtown historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that took nearly a year to secure.
“It’s bittersweet for us … it took almost a year to get that designation for the historic district,” Hunt said.
City officials say efforts are now shifting toward recovery, including supporting displaced businesses and connecting them with state resources. Hunt said he hopes the area can eventually be rebuilt in a way that preserves the historic character of the square.
In the meantime, officials are urging residents to support affected businesses as they recover.
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