Willie Nelson is a Texas icon, and now his face emblazoned on the side of this building in Hillsboro, Texas.
The mural artists are – Juan Velazquez, Travis Avila & Arte Mando.
Willie Nelson, a music icon, helped to rebuild the Hillsboro courthouse after it burned down, so it’s only fitting that the mural depicts him facing the courthouse.
Located on Franklin and Waco Street in downtown Hillsboro, the mural sits behind the historic Old Corner Gulf Station, and is the subject of much media, and visitors to Hillsboro snapping photos on their trips, wedding day, or when just passing by.
The backstory: The building owner featuring the mural is Ms. Bundy from Fort Worth, and she and her late husband bought the building 17 years ago after they were driving through Hillsboro with the intention of looking at lake houses.
“We drove through downtown Hillsboro and bought a building instead,” she said. She and her husband enjoyed spending part of their time away from city life taking in the view of the courthouse.
Bundy thanked the City of Hillsboro for supporting the idea and the residents who honked their horns and stopped by to talk to the artists. “They had a great time,” she said, adding that in larger cities the public can be more blasé about seeing a mural being painted.
Local friends of Nelson reported that they sent him photos of the mural and he said it made him proud. Bundy said that members of Nelson’s team have also been in touch with the artists to thank them.
Nelson has always been a supporter of Hill County, from his concerts to raise funds for the Hill County Courthouse reconstruction after it was gutted by fire in 1993, to his donations to local fire departments, to his effort to purchase and save the Methodist church in Abbott where he was raised. Many who stopped by expressed the same sentiment — it’s fitting that this lifelong dedication to his home be recognized on the courthouse square.
