The Old Well

Map of N Mays St At E Main Ave
Round Rock, TX 78664

As you can see on the linked map, the intersection of Mays street and Main Street used to be a 5-way intersection. Mays and Main intersected, and then Round Rock Avenue, otherwise known as RM 620 ended right there.

Back in the day, when the streets were unpaved, there was a well at the crossing, which was the principal source of water for the town. At some point, a pump was installed so that the water didn't just run down the street, creating a mud hole and wasting the precious resource. With the pump came a gazebo; a gathering place for music and news.

In 1931, the well was capped, and, later, sealed. The original gazebo was moved to a park. In 1970, a replica was built over the well. In the early 1980's the gazebo was moved so that it didn't obstruct visibility in the intersection. More recently still, the entire intersection was changed back to a four-way, with Main Street being interrupted by a curb, and Round Rock Avenue becoming the only east/west through street.

The gazebo is now a replica of the replica, and the site is not where the well was.

It's a shame that history has to give way to traffic, but the thing really was a hazard.