Located midway between Waco and Bryan on Texas Highway 6, Calvert is a Victorian jewel of a town that's well worth a day trip or weekend getaway.
Calvert was founded in 1868 and by the end of the 19th century it was a thriving commercial center. Fueled by wealth from cotton and railroad commerce, plantation owners and merchants built lavish Victorian mansions in town.
Calvert's historical district includes 37 blocks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's fun to drive around admiring the historic homes, many of which have been beautifully restored. Several shops in town sell a self-guided driving tour booklet.
On Highway 6, the main street through town, Victorian-era commercial buildings house shops offering antiques, gifts, Texas-style furniture and décor, art and pottery.
Sonny Moss at Mud Creek Pottery has been producing pottery in Calvert since 1989. He produces a range of glazed, hand-thrown ceramic bowls, plates, cups, and sculptures and offers classes for all ages.
Don't miss Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches where Jody Powers bakes award-winning kolaches based on her grandmother Zamykal's recipe. The shop turns out an amazing 30 flavors of kolaches every day, including traditional favorites like prune, cherry and poppy seed, along with more exotic offerings such as black forest, key lime, pumpkin, and coconut cream.
Another popular item is klobasnikies, which are small sausages wrapped in dough. These tasty treats are often called pigs in a blanket, but Jody is quick to point out that many people (and bakeries) erroneously call them sausage kolaches. Be sure to ask the staff to sing the clever song they have devised to drive this point home.
Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches is open Thursday through Sunday and you can smell the delicious aroma down the block. They also serve coffee, tea, mini quiches, tea breads and candy.
Another sweet stop is Cocoamoda, specializing in decadent chocolate truffles and dark chocolate covered glacé citrus peels. Cocoamoda also serves gourmet dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Other dining options in Calvert include a café, a barbeque place and a Dairy Queen.
Several bed and breakfast inns are located in historic houses in Calvert, including Annie Mae’s, Hammond House, Parish House, and Pin Oak. Motel rooms are available a few miles south in Hearne and Bryan is just half an hour away.
The first weekend of December is a great time to visit Calvert and tour lovely historic homes, decked out for Christmas.
In the summer of 2012, Calvert launched a Trade Days event to be held the third Saturday of each month.
Learn more about visiting Calvert at the Chamber of Commerce website and blog.
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