Round Top Looking to Improve Its Town Square

The Round Top town courthouse’s 100th birthday is coming up in 2025, and town leaders are trying to come up with a way to improve the area around it.

“We’re generating a lot of sales tax revenue and we wanted to think about what we could do to give the town square the TLC it deserves,” said Round Top mayor Mark Massey. “It’s the heart of our town.”

The effort has touched off a series of, sometimes passionate, public meetings about the subject, and Massey said his hope is that a final plan can be voted on by the town council in late August.

Two scenarios emerged after the initial public meetings. One called for the courthouse to actually be moved about 40 feet in one direction to open up a larger plaza on the square. The other plan called for the courthouse to stay where it was and major improvements be made all around the structure.

“Currently the courthouse is right in the middle of the square and kind of separates the square into four quadrants. That was the reasoning behind possibly moving it.”Massey said.

“There are pros and cons to each idea but the overall sentiment has been to keep the building where it is.”

But other improvements that have gained popular support include the addition of a fountain, new landscaping and gardens, and new lawn furniture with umbrellas.

The town council has already voted to expand the public restrooms on the square.

Some renderings of possible ideas are currently on display in the Town Office at 202. N. Live Oak, and Massey said he wants more public input and ideas about the plans. The office is open from Tuesday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon and the public can express their ideas and wants there.

“Outside of the antique shows people don’t use our town square much. That’s a shame, and we want to change that,” Massey said.