Presidio County, Texas
Historical Shafter Mining Town
In the foothills of the Chinati Mountains, Shafter is a historic silver mining town being thoughtfully restored and brought back to life.
Once home to the largest silver mine in Texas, Shafter grew into a small but thriving community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When the mine closed in 1942, the town was largely abandoned, leaving behind adobe homes, gathering places, and commercial buildings that tell the story of a different era in West Texas.
Restoration continues throughout Shafter, with additional homes and historic spaces being brought back as the work progresses.
The Shafter Silver mine in the 1890s
A mine headframe looming above the ruins of former Shafter buildings.
Three men transporting silver from the mine at Shafter to Marfa
Shafter was the largest silver mine in Texas.
1912 -
Shafter was the largest silver mine in Texas.
Across Shafter, the Foundation is restoring the buildings and gathering places that once gave the town its daily rhythm. Some have returned to use. Others remain in progress. Together, they reveal Shafter as more than a former mining site. It was a real community of homes, commerce, worship, work, and social life.
The Mine Store
A recognizable town landmark and gathering point, the Mine Store helps tell the story of everyday life in Shafter through commerce, conversation, supplies, and the rhythm of a working town.
The Saloon
Restored as a place for gathering, the Saloon brings back one of the most evocative parts of Shafter’s frontier character.
The Post Office Museum
As restoration continues, the Post Office Museum will help interpret the town’s history, its people, and its place in the larger story of Far West Texas.
The Church
The church remains one of Shafter’s most meaningful landmarks, anchoring the town’s history of faith, community, and continuity.
Historic Streets and Ruins
Not every structure has been restored. Some remain as ruins, fragments, walls, and foundations, visible reminders of what was here and why the work matters.
Explore the restored historic homes available for guest accommodations. Additional homes will become available as restoration work continues.
Status: Opening soon
A restored historic home in the heart of Shafter, the Livingston House offers generous space, period character, and a direct connection to the town’s ongoing revival. Best for families, small groups, private stays, and guests who want to be close to the center of town.
Status: Opening soon
A restored adobe residence that reflects the quiet texture and architectural character of Shafter. The Green Adobe offers an intimate way to experience the town’s history, landscape, and slower pace. Best for couples, small groups, and guests seeking a private historic stay.
Status: In restoration
A historic adobe home being prepared as part of Shafter’s next phase of guest accommodations. Its restoration continues the Foundation’s work of returning the town’s original residences to meaningful use.
Status: In restoration
A historic Shafter residence being prepared for a future phase of guest accommodations. Details will be shared as restoration progresses and the home moves closer to guest readiness.
Status: Opening soon
A restored historic home in the heart of Shafter, the Livingston House offers generous space, period character, and a direct connection to the town’s ongoing revival. Best for families, small groups, private stays, and guests who want to be close to the center of town.
Status: Opening soon
A restored adobe residence that reflects the quiet texture and architectural character of Shafter. The Green Adobe offers an intimate way to experience the town’s history, landscape, and slower pace. Best for couples, small groups, and guests seeking a private historic stay.
Status: In restoration
A historic adobe home being prepared as part of Shafter’s next phase of guest accommodations. Its restoration continues the Foundation’s work of returning the town’s original residences to meaningful use.
Status: In restoration
A historic Shafter residence being prepared for a future phase of guest accommodations. Details will be shared as restoration progresses and the home moves closer to guest readiness.
Shafter is both a destination and a basecamp. The town itself offers history, architecture, restored homes, quiet streets, and the visible work of preservation. Beyond town, the surrounding region opens into some of the most dramatic country in Texas.
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Walk Shafter’s historic streets, visit restored gathering places, view ruins and adobe walls, and experience the setting that shaped the town’s mining history.
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Horseback riding may be arranged through nearby Cibolo Creek Ranch, offering guests a way to experience the landscape with a deeper sense of distance, scale, and frontier movement.
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Select hunting and sporting opportunities are available through nearby Cibolo Creek Ranch and related membership or seasonal arrangements.
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Use Shafter as a base for exploring Marfa, Presidio, Big Bend country, Fort Davis, the Chinati Mountains, river roads, desert landscapes, and historic West Texas sites.
Your Historic Base Camp
Shafter offers a private, immersive way to experience a historic West Texas town. Arrive at your restored adobe home, settle in at your own pace, and make yourself at home. With the town as your backdrop, you are free to explore its historic streets, gather with friends, or simply enjoy the quiet of the surrounding landscape.
Spend your days exploring Marfa, Big Bend country, nearby landscapes, and local events, or arrange activities through Cibolo Creek Ranch. Then return to Shafter and enjoy the quiet of your own historic home. It’s West Texas adventure, your way.
Stays in Shafter are private and self-guided. Before your arrival, we’ll share check-in instructions and helpful details about your home.
The Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation
The Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation protects, restores, and enhances historic structures and landscapes in West Texas and Tidewater Virginia.
In Shafter, the Foundation’s work is focused on preservation, restoration, and the long term stewardship of a historic town that might otherwise be lost to time. The project brings together architecture, landscape, history, hospitality, and conservation into one continuing effort.
This is not simply about restoring buildings. It is about preserving a sense of place. It is about honoring the people who lived and worked here, protecting what remains, and allowing future generations to experience Shafter as more than a name on a map.
Read the Restoration Story →Shafter is not being recreated. It is being restored carefully, building by building, so its history can be experienced again.
Shafter sits in Presidio County in far West Texas, surrounded by some of the state’s most distinctive landscapes and destinations.
Its location makes it an ideal base camp for travelers who want to experience more than one side of the region. Plan a day around Marfa’s galleries, restaurants, festivals, and events. Explore Presidio and the Rio Grande frontier. Venture into Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park. Head toward Fort Davis and the Davis Mountains, or spend time closer to home in the Chinati foothills.
West Texas rewards travelers who enjoy adventure, follow the scenic route, and leave room in the itinerary for discovery.
Nearby
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Big Bend National Park
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Marfa
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Terlingua and Study Butte
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Fort Davis and the Davis Mountains
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McDonald Observatory
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Chinati Foundation
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Cibolo Creek Ranch
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Big Bend State Park
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