Sometimes the best Texas stories are hiding in buildings that look like they’ve been forgotten. In Pittsburg, Texas, one of those stories unfolded at 115 S. Compress Street, where a century-old building once known as Farmer’s Feed and Seed—and later associated with Pilgrim’s Pride—was given a remarkable second life.
The building had been vacant since 1961, eventually falling into such disrepair that it was condemned. But instead of tearing it down, Byron and Kristin Aldredge saw something worth saving. They purchased the property and took on the daunting task of restoring the old structure, working with a tight budget and plenty of imagination.
Their answer was Anvil Brewing—a family-run brewpub that combined Texas craft beer, food and live music with a distinctly East Texas personality. And they didn’t stop with the brewpub. Upstairs, they created a roughly 3,000-square-foot dance hall, turning a forgotten building into a gathering place where people could eat, drink, dance and listen to Red Dirt country music.
And there’s an especially neat connection to Pittsburg’s history hiding in those old walls. The building had ties to the early days of Pilgrim’s Pride, the poultry company that became one of the biggest names in the industry. Company founder Bo Pilgrim reportedly got one of his early jobs driving the delivery truck for the feed store. So the building wasn’t simply old—it was connected to the economic history of the entire community.
That’s what makes this photograph particularly interesting to me. You’re not just looking at an old building in Pittsburg. You’re looking at a place that has been a feed store, part of the story of a major Texas company, an abandoned landmark, and eventually a brewery and dance hall.
Anvil’s original Pittsburg location eventually closed, but for a time, this old building once again had lights on, music playing and people coming through its doors.
That’s the Curious Perro kind of history I love—the places that refuse to disappear. 🐾🍺🎸
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