Major Theodore Coupland’s Ambitious Plan

The rolling prairie terrain of Coupland is less than 10 minutes from the larger, yet still small towns of Taylor and Elgin. Founded on the route of the Taylor, Bastrop, Austin Railway, Coupland is on State Highway 95 about 20 minutes northeast of Austin and 25 minutes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Coupland was named for Major Theodore van Buren Coupland, a former officer in the Union Army, who, along with the majority of Williamson County voted against Texas secession. In 1887, the Taylor, Bastrop and Austin Railway made a deal to buy real estate from Major Coupland to extend the rail line from Taylor toward Houston. Coupland was inspired with the ambitious idea to build a city on real estate he’d gained from a family inheritance. Together with two men from Taylor, Coupland formed a corporation, “The Coupland City Company,” with the stated purpose to buy, subdivide and offer real estate for sale in the town.

The post office was established in 1889. By 1900 the town was a prosperous meeting place for the area’s Swedish, German, and Swiss farmers who had homes in the area. In the 1980s, Coupland reported only 135 people made their homes in town. As of 2010, the area’s population swelled to about 1290 people. Today the town still hosts a restored train depot reflecting the town’s former railroad connection, a church, a post office, a bank, an eight-grade school, a gin, a grain elevator, a community center, a store to buy a few groceries and sundries, and the Old Coupland Inn and Dance Hall.

Picturesque Downtown Real Estate and a Popular Texas Dancehall

In March 1992, Tim and Barbara Worthy converted the former Speckles Grocery into a Texas dancehall. The dancehall’s large stage has hosted real music legends, like Johnny Rodriguez, Ray Price, Gary Stewart, Brad Paisley and Ricky Trevino. Built in 1904, the dance hall features original wood floors and a correct period bar. There’s also a restaurant and bed and breakfast upstairs with each room’s decor loosely inspired by a brothel that made its home there in the 1900’s.

Because of its picturesque setting and period real estate, film crews are in town regularly. Crews creating films like Varsity Blues, Home Fries, and Secondhand Lions are recent examples. The Worthys are committed to maintaining Texas tradition on Fridays and Saturdays with nightly entertainment, scratch-made southern cuisine, and their seven-room inn.  “We welcome all our guests with a handshake or a hug,” states owner Barbara Worthy. “Tim and I are always happy to proudly give tours of our work to our guests; they just might be back to stay a night or two.”

Highly-Regarded Medical Facilities and Public School

As is common in small towns, Coupland area students from kindergarten through 8^th grade attend classes on a single campus. With an enrollment of more than 130 children and an excellent student-teacher ratio of only 10:1, local children excel, exceeding the state average in performance evaluations. Older students attend high school in either nearby Elgin or Taylor school districts. The Coupland school recently eliminated transfer fees for students living outside of their district to allow even more area children to benefit from its personalized and effective practices.

Residents also enjoy high-quality and convenient access to medical resources. Scott & White Taylor Hospital provides a 25-bed hospital and 24-hour emergency room. The hospital also offers radiology, laboratory, surgery, acute care and skilled nursing services. Both Elgin and Taylor also host several clinics and private medical and dental practices.

Convenient and Extensive Shopping, Dining Within Reach

Central Texas is thick with famous barbecue, and the Coupland area is no exception. For everyone who makes a home in Central Texas, nearby Elgin is synonymous with barbecue – particularly smoked sausage.  Elgin attracts diners from all over the region to its numerous barbecue restaurants like Meyers Elgin Smokehouse –famous for its sausage as well as its tender, flavorful brisket. Taylor is also brimming with popular barbecue popular joints like Louie Mueller Barbecue and the Taylor Café.

Local shopping includes Elgin’s and Taylor’s HEB Grocery stores, restaurants and specialty shopping, all less than 10 minutes away. Only half-an-hour from home, Round Rock offers Coupland residents a wider variety of shopping, dining and entertainment. Round Rock Premium Outlets Mall is home to more than a hundred high-end stores with desirable brands for sale at bargain prices. Central Texas’ only IKEA store is also in Round Rock with a huge inventory of furniture and home goods. And when the desire to take in America’s pastime hits, the Dell Diamond’s Round Rock Express Triple-A professional baseball is just down the road.

Coupland Real Estate – Rich with History and Creative Energy

While Major Coupland’s grand vision of a vibrant city where real estate speculation would boom with the coming of the railroad failed to materialize, today’s Coupland business and residential real estate owners – not to mention the town’s many weekend visitors and fans – feel like Coupland worked out just fine.

This small town, founded initially on the hope of a real estate boom, now has prospective buyers poring over its real estate listings for sale, eager to join the progressive, small town community. Residents and guests embrace its past as they exercise their creativity and celebrate the modern work of its artisans. This rare combination works well for Coupland, giving its locals both a peaceful workweek and an exciting weekend.

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