Chip and Joanna Gaines buy a historic castle in Texas

A spokesman for the Gaines' business, Magnolia, says the "Fixer Upper" couple has long admired the castle and previously made attempts to purchase it.

Chip and Joanna Gaines have closed on the landmark Cottonland Castle in Waco, Texas, buying it from an Oxford University scholar who reportedly decided the renovation required someone with deeper pockets. Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP

By Associated Press

February 25, 2019

WACO, Texas (AP) — Chip and Joanna Gaines’ latest home project is quite the fixer-upper.

The Texas couple made famous by HGTV’s ‘‘Fixer Upper’’ home improvement show closed last week on the historic but rundown Cottonland Castle in Waco.

A spokesman for the Gaines’ business, Magnolia, says the couple has long admired the castle and previously made attempts to purchase it. Spokesman John Marsicano says the couple has not yet determined specific plans for the property but that they plan to complete the castle’s restoration.

Construction on the 6,700-square-foot stone castle began in 1890 and was completed in 1913. It has been vacant for about 20 years despite efforts to renovate it.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports that the castle was listed at $425,000, though the sale price has not been disclosed.

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