The Highlander is moving back to downtown Marble Falls

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Newspaper going back to its roots

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  • The newspaper office relocates to 905 Third St. in Marble Falls. Cactus Construction Co. has lent their development expertise again and contracted for the renovations and expansion of the downtown building for the office. Photos by Connie Swinney/The Highlander
    The newspaper office relocates to 905 Third St. in Marble Falls. Cactus Construction Co. has lent their development expertise again and contracted for the renovations and expansion of the downtown building for the office. Photos by Connie Swinney/The Highlander
  • Preparations are underway to install The Highlander's iconic signage, 905 Third St., seen here in a rendering. Resident and visitors in downtown Marble Falls will soon be able to see the recognizable logo, designed during the newspaper's inception in 1959, on the building in the next few days.
    Preparations are underway to install The Highlander's iconic signage, 905 Third St., seen here in a rendering. Resident and visitors in downtown Marble Falls will soon be able to see the recognizable logo, designed during the newspaper's inception in 1959, on the building in the next few days.
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Guess who's back downtown again?

After 23 years away, The Highlander is moving back to historic downtown Marble Falls. We will be settling into our new office at 905 Third Street during the weekend and Monday, Sept. 28, will be our first official day open in the new place. We're excited about the move — even as we sadly say goodbye to our former home.

Today, Friday, Sept. 25, will be our last day at what everyone knows as “The Highlander building” at 304-A Highlander Circle. We will officially close that office at 2 p.m. so we can begin our transition to the new building.

The Highlander is truly exited to be part of the revitalization of downtown Marble Falls,” said Jeff Shabram, publisher of The Highlander. “Our community’s rich history in the heart of the Texas Hill Country continues to grow and thrive. We are proud to be part of its legacy as we continue to provide vital news and information to our community”

When we started looking for a new home in 2019, we went back to Grant Dean and Cactus Companies to help us find the right fit and we believe we've found it on Third Street. The 1,160-square-foot building, which formerly housed the Living Love Animal Rescue Thrift Shop, was originally built in 1950.

It has been completely remodeled inside and has been enlarged to about 1,700 square feet. We think it is more than sufficient to allow us to continue our mission of chronicling life in the Highland Lakes for years to come. We can't wait to have a ribbon cutting soon to show you what our new home looks like!

Evolution of the publication

The light blue building facing US 281 that has been home to The Highlander has served as a welcoming sight for visitors to Marble Falls for more than 23 years, but it's not where the history of The Highlander begins.

The Highlander was founded 61 years ago in 1959, and for many years, was published from a building at 208 Main St., which would later house It's All Goode and will soon be the new home of Ms. Lollipop Parties, Fun & Gifts. The newspaper thrived at its downtown location, but eventually needed more space as it grew.

In 1996, then-owners of The Highlander — Dixie Newspapers (later to be renamed Granite Publications) — contracted with Grant Dean and Cactus Companies to build a 6,000-square-foot office building on a bluff above Lake Marble Falls off what would become Gateway Loop, near US 281. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in February 1997 by the late Jim Chionsini, CEO of Granite Publications, and the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce, after the foundation of the building was poured.

The building at 304-A Highlander Circle was completed in June 1997 with a ribbon cutting and open house held on July 16 of that year, setting the pace for future development in the area. The Highlander building would serve as the home of The Highlander for more than two decades.

Since that time, a number of other businesses have moved to Gateway Loop, including Starbucks, CVS, State Farm Shane Stewart, Hill Country Memorial Surgical Center and ophthalmologist Dr. Mary Kelly Green.

Please send us a note at jeff@highlandernews.com or lew@highlandernews.com.