The Lore

For decades, the historic building at 201 E. 6th Street has been the center of ghostly lore. Despite the bar’s closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, Austinites nostalgically still refer to the building by its former name “Buffalo Billiards”. Despite it’s closure, Buffalo Billiards’ haunted reputation endures, raising a question that’s never been fully answered: Who are the ghosts said to roam this storied space?

The tales of the supernatural are plentiful--from a mischievous spirit named Fred to chilling encounters with a woman in white. Yet, theories about their identities remain scarce. This article aims to explore these lingering questions by exploring the building’s history and the lives of those who once occupied it.

The Ghost of Fred

The most famous of Buffalo Billiards’ spectral residents is known as Fred, a playful yet mysterious presence. While no one claims to know who Fred was in life, his antics have been well-documented. Patrons often felt their barstools shaking for no apparent reason, while bartenders opening up in the morning would find unstacked chairs, overturned items, and small messes.

Fred’s mischief extended to breaking two EXIT signs over the years, leading many to joke that he simply didn’t want to leave the building. With the bar now closed, one can only wonder if Fred’s pranks persist in the empty halls, perhaps fueled by boredom in the absence of patrons. Could Fred, known for his humor and pranks, actually be tied to Horace Holly, a local bookkeeper known for his joking personality and ties to the building in its early days? We'll explore that more a little later.

The Ghosts Upstairs

Fred isn’t alone in haunting the building. On the second floor, visitors have reported encounters with a woman in a flowing, Victorian-style white dress. Known as just Deborah, she is often seen watching silently from the stairs or peering out of the windows in the early morning hours. Staff also reported walking through inexplicable cold spots and feeling the distinct sensation of being watched. Could Deborah be one of the Massler sisters, who ran a dressmaking shop and boarding house upstairs in the 1880s? We'll explore their connection to the building’s history and their likely close interactions with its inhabitants which make them plausible candidates for the ghostly figure.

Among the building’s unexplained phenomena are the sounds of children’s footsteps and the appearance of child-sized chalk handprints on billiard tables. These handprints, occasionally found by staff during morning openings, particularly perplexing given that Buffalo Billiards’ was a 21 and up bar. Their presence hints at the possibility of yet another spectral occupant--perhaps tied to the building’s past as a boarding house, which may have seen families with children.

Encounters & Explanations

One of the most intriguing yet unverifiable tales involves a visit from a Fox News crew investigating the building’s paranormal reputation. According to the story, a staff member was interviewed and outfitted with a microphone. During the interview, her mic allegedly captured a faint Irish-accented voice replying, “All I want is a wee bit of attention,” when she was asked what Fred might want. Although it’s said that the crew reportedly tried and failed to debunk the voice, the footage has never been located, leaving this story in the realm of urban legend rather than fact.

Buffalo Billiards has always been rumored to be haunted, but definitive explanations for these hauntings remain elusive. Paranormal investigations have uncovered unexplained sounds like breathing and faint whispers, deepening the mystery surrounding the building. To understand these spirits better, we must examine the building’s rich and varied history, tracing its evolution from a millinery and boarding house to its later incarnations as a bar and retail space. Could the lives of those who worked, lived, and laughed here offer clues about the identities of these restless spirits?

The History

The building’s earliest history remains unclear, but starting around 1877, it housed a millinery owned by Mrs. M. Smith. A millinery is a store that sells hats. The ground floor served as her shop, where she sold fashionable hats and bonnets to Austin’s ladies. Upstairs, Mrs. Smith rented out rooms to a diverse group of tenants, including boarders, black and female doctors, and a progressive newspaper called the Southern Republican. This unique and integrated environment may have made the establishment somewhat controversial for its time, and it's hard to not speculate on whether this led to the short life of her hat store. In 1880, advertisements in the local paper spoke of the latest styles Mrs. Smith had to offer, but by 1882, her ads reflected a business in decline, culminating in her decision to sell the stock and leave the industry by 1884.

Rosa and Horace Holley took over the millinery in 1883, with Rosa continuing the hat business on the first floor while Horace acted as bookkeeper. Horace was well known around town for his active role in local government. He was also known to be a bit of a jokester. The only time he was asked for a quote to be printed in the paper, he used the occasion to crack a joke: "Of course I'm in favor of good sidewalks and streets and I'm perfectly willing to sacrifice all the cash my poor relations and friends have to secure them.” His humor, combined with his deep connection to the building, makes him a compelling candidate for the identity of the mischievous ghost.

The upstairs, meanwhile, became the domain of the Massler sisters, who operated a dressmaking shop while renting out rooms as a boarding house. The sisters’ presence aligns with reports of a woman in white, as their lives revolved around the very floors said to be haunted. The Victorian-style clothing described in ghost sightings could even mirror the fashions they worked with daily, reinforcing their connection to the supernatural lore.

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the building continued to evolve, hosting a variety of businesses and residents. By 1904, it had transformed into the Brunswick Bar, serving daily lunches, and later housed retail operations ranging from furniture to shoes and rugged men’s clothing. Despite its many changes, it’s the building’s years as a bustling boarding house—filled with the comings and goings of countless lives, emotions, and untold stories—that seem most connected to the energy of the ghosts said to roam its halls. Still, with over 150 years of history and thousands of people passing through its doors, the true identities of these spirits remain an enduring mystery.