Bastrop is planning to rebuild the historic German Casino on the Convention and Exhibit Center grounds, according to city officials.

The details

The one-story building—which the German-American Social Club constructed in the 1860s on Farm Street as a casino hall—collapsed in November 2023 and was secured with tape and barricades to prevent public entry until it was fully demolished with oversight of the Historic Landmark Commission.

“The German Casino, right now, sits as a pile of bricks at the Public Works office,” City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said in early September. “The plan is to create a gathering space as it was before—a place where bridal showers, baby showers and community gatherings can happen.”

Some background

Ken Kesselus, a local historian, previously told Community Impact that the German Casino was once used as a school for German children and listed a variety events that were held at the site, including:

• Balls
• Theatrical performances
• Concerts

“Since the structure's collapse, city staff have coordinated with the site's property owners and the Bastrop County Historical Society regarding the mitigation and relocation of the historic building materials,” Carrillo-Trevino said in a September 2024 staff report document. “The Bastrop County Historical Society has asked the City of Bastrop to partner with its efforts to preserve this piece of Bastrop’s history.”

The outlook

During the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the City event in early September, Carrillo Trevino told area residents how the city plans to fund the endeavor.

“If it's on the grounds of the Convention and Exhibit Center, we can use [hotel occupancy tax] funds, which means no effect on the general fund, and again, no effect on taxes,” said.

A timeline for the project was not made available by press time.