A predawn blaze gutted The Blind Pig Butcher + Market in Waxahachie on Monday, destroying a recently opened business housed in a historic Victorian home long rumored to be one of Texas’ most haunted sites.
The fire erupted around 4:30 a.m. at 814 Water St., the former location of the Catfish Plantation restaurant, which had drawn paranormal enthusiasts and visitors worldwide before closing. Sandy Emmons, curator of the Waxahachie Museum, recalled meeting a British couple in Hot Springs, Arkansas, who cited Catfish Plantation as a favorite Texas spot they visited annually.
Waxahachie firefighters contained the flames with no reported injuries, but the 1895 structure sustained severe damage.
Owners Jay and Amber DeSimone, who run 840 Farm — the nation’s largest Mangalitsa pork operation — purchased the property in 2023 and spent more than two years renovating it. They launched The Blind Pig on October 15, 2025, offering fresh meats and bread, which received positive reviews.
In a Facebook post on January 5 at around 6:20 a.m., the business announced that “Due to a devastating fire early this morning, The Blind Pig is closed until further notice.”
“We would like to thank our first responders for their hard work in extinguishing the fire and keeping our neighbors safe,” the post said. “Please keep us in your prayers, Waxahachie, as we navigate the steps ahead.”
Neighbor Kayla Peppers said she awoke to police alerts and evacuated her family as flames reached nearby trees.
“We got woken up by the Waxahachie Police Department,” Peppers said, WFAA reported. “I got my kids and everyone, and we ran out here. It was just like engulfed in flames.”
“Very scared. I thought our house was going to catch on fire, too,” she added.
The site has burned at least three times before, including a 2003 incident at the Catfish Plantation, and this latest fire appears to be the most destructive, according to residents.
Speculation quickly turned to the street’s eerie reputation.
“When we first moved here, I was kind of asking around, and they said that Water Street was probably one of the most haunted areas in Waxahachie for some reason,” Peppers said. “It’s supposed to be one of the most haunted restaurants in Texas.”
Living adjacent, Peppers reported odd occurrences: “I’ve heard my name before, whenever it was just me, and my children were at school. It’s probably one of the craziest things that’s happened other than our doors being opened.”
The historic home was originally built by a farmer named Anderson and served as a residence to various families through the years, including young Paul Richards, who went on to become a major league baseball player, scout, and manager. After the death of the home’s elderly owner in 1970, the structure was used as a doctor’s office before serving as the site of a series of failed restaurants.
In 1984, the property was purchased by Tom and Melissa Baker, who renovated the space and opened the Catfish Plantation, which operated successfully at the location for more than 30 years.
It was during the renovation that the Bakers first began noticing unexplained phenomena in the historic home, such as lights turning on and off, water faucets turning on and off, broken clocks chiming intermittently, and items being moved, all without human contact.
Online videos and websites document alleged ghostly encounters at the former eatery, including spirits tugging at women’s hair and apparitions appearing to guests and staff. Three documented “spirits” who have made multiple appearances at the Catfish Plantation were reportedly previous residents of the home, including a 20-year-old daughter of farmer Anderson, who was reportedly murdered at the home on her wedding day.
The Catfish Plantation gained fame through TV appearances on PBS’ Day Tripper, SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, Travel Channel’s Dead Files, and Discovery’s Ghost Lab, and received a nod in Episode One, Season Eight of Fox’s King of the Hill.
The current owners of the property have not commented publicly on whether they believe the property is haunted and have not speculated on the cause of the fire, which is under review. Still, Facebook commenters were quick to link it to paranormal activity.
“The ghosts did it,” posted Armondo Garcia.
“Reckon them Ghosts didn’t like pork,” said Galen Morris.
Facebook user Hope Hunter added, “This place has burned down more times than I can remember … Hope the ghosts made it out.”
Community organizations, friends, and neighbors have reportedly reached out to the DeSimone family to offer support and assistance following the devastating fire, according to The Waxahachie Sun, and locals are encouraged to patronize the family business, 840 Farm.
Because of the property’s historic status, the DeSimones may qualify for grants from the Texas Historical Commission and other local organizations to help cover the cost of rebuilding The Blind Pig.
“I’m just glad nobody was hurt or anything,” Peppers said, per WFAA. “Hopefully, they can rebuild it, though.”
