Preserving a Piece of West Texas History
A Historic Silver Mining Town, Restored
In the foothills of the Chinati Mountains, Shafter is a remarkable piece of West Texas history being thoughtfully brought back to life by the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation.
Once home to the largest silver mine in Texas, Shafter grew from a mining camp into a thriving community, complete with homes, businesses, gathering places, a church, post offices, and the many people and enterprises that gave the town its character.
The Mine
When Silver Put Shafter on the Map
Shafter’s story began with silver. By the late nineteenth century, the mine had transformed this remote corner of West Texas into a bustling mining community. Workers and their families made their homes here, businesses opened their doors, and the town developed the places and traditions that shaped daily life.
At its height, Shafter was home to the largest silver mine in Texas, with silver moving from the mine toward Marfa and beyond. The town became an important part of the region’s economy and a distinctive community in the rugged landscape of Presidio County.
When the mine closed in 1942, Shafter’s population declined, but much of the town’s physical character remained. Adobe homes, commercial buildings, the church, post offices, garage, and other historic structures still stand as tangible connections to the community that once flourished here.
Timeline
Shafter Through the Years
- The town is establishedShafter grows from a mining camp into a community of homes, businesses and gathering places
- The largest silver mine in TexasSilver moves from the mine toward Marfa and beyond, and the town thrives
- The mine closesThe population declines, but the adobe homes, church, post offices and stores remain
- The Foundation is formedThe Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation is endowed to protect West Texas heritage
- Restoration beginsA comprehensive effort to restore Shafter’s historic buildings and return them to use
- A new chapterRestored homes open to guests as the work continues, building by building
The Work
Bringing Shafter Back to Life
In 2025, the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation began a comprehensive effort to restore Shafter’s historic buildings and return them to meaningful use.
The work is guided by a simple goal: preserve what makes Shafter special while giving its historic places a new life. Original adobe homes are being carefully restored as guest accommodations, while historic gathering places and community buildings are being brought back into use.
Today, visitors can stay in beautifully restored historic homes, gather in the Saloon, explore the Mine Store, and experience a town where the past remains present while a new chapter takes shape.
Restoration continues throughout Shafter, with additional homes and historic spaces opening as the work progresses. The result is not a recreation of the town that once was, but an authentic place where its history can be experienced, appreciated, and carried forward.
A town with a remarkable past, thoughtfully restored for its next chapter.
The Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation
The Organization Behind the Work
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.
By the Numbers
The Scale of the Work
- 32
- Years in the region
- 30,000+
- Acres stewarded
- 3
- National Register listings
- 2024
- TX Conservationist of the Year
