By Tim Binnall
A massive fire destroyed a building that was once home to a notoriously haunted Texas restaurant, leaving some to wonder if spirits were to blame for the inferno. According to a local media report, the monstrous blaze ripped through the Blind Pig Butchery in Waxahachie early Monday morning, reducing the site to little more than a shell of charred wood. The unfortunate turn of events raised eyebrows among residents of the community due to the location's rather peculiar history. Built in 1895, the building was previously a Victorian-style home until it was abandoned in the 1970s and then transformed into the Catfish Plantation Restaurant in the 1980s.
During the restoration process, the new owners noticed unusual activity at the location and, soon after opening, the unsettling events intensified. In the ensuing decades, the spot developed a spooky reputation as one of the most haunted restaurants in Texas, drawing countless thrill-seeking paranormal enthusiasts and curious media outlets until it ultimately closed due to the pandemic. The building was subsequently purchased in 2023 and, after two years of renovation, the Blind Pig Butchery opened its doors this past October. Alas, Monday morning's inferno decimated the new meat market and sparked renewed talk of the ghostly activity attributed to the location.
"When we first moved here, I was kind of asking around and they said that Water Street was probably one of the most haunted areas in Waxahachie for some reason," neighbor Kayla Peppers said of the road where the former Catfish Plantation once stood. To that end, she recalled having eerie experiences in her home, which sits next to the location. "I've heard my name before whenever it was just me and my children were at school," Peppers revealed, "it's probably the one of the craziest things that's happened other than our doors being opened.” While her account would seem to indicate that the spirits that once 'lived' at the Catfish Plantation remained at the Blind Pig Butchery, one can only speculate as to whether or not they were responsible for the fire that destroyed it.