Martin's Place

In December 1924, Martin Kapchinskie purchased land at this site, along a one-lane country road connecting Bryan to Texas A&M University, near the communities of Union Hill and Midway. Here, he opened a store for travelers and named it Martin's Place, where he offered groceries, a public telephone, gasoline and barbecue. The original building was a wooden, screened structure, with a small pit inside, and tables and a large pit outside. During the 1930s, Kapchinski sold some of the surrounding land to maintain the business during the Great Depression. By 1939, he had enough money to build a more substantial building, a red brick structure with a kitchen inside and a barbecue pit attached at back. The interior, designed like a café, included a tall bar. Following World War II, Kapchinskie's son Albin joined him as partner. Albin, who had served during the war as a butcher in the Navy, added a meat market to Martin's Place in 1951. A horseshoe-shaped bar replaced the original tall bar. In 1955, Albin purchased the business from his father, who retired to Michigan. As Bryan and College Station grew and the automobile greatly changed the way people lived, Martin's Place became more than a rest stop for travelers. Still in the Kapchinskie family, the restaurant has become part of local life and a place of fond memories for generations of Texas A&M University students. Longtime patrons of Martin's recall "Uncle" Steve Holik, who served tables from 1946 until 1987, and for decades area residents came for daily domino games and to shoot pool. Although the world around it has developed rapidly, Martin's Place has changed little from its early days, remaining a popular stop for rest and refreshment. (2005)

Martin's Place is a historical marker in Bryan, Brazos County, dedicated in 2005. It is one of 54 historical markers documented in Brazos County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 172 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.6361, -96.3557 near Bryan. The nearest cataloged historic site is First National Bank of Bryan (historical marker), about 0.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Bryan & College Interurban Railway, South Family Cemetery, and College Station Railroad Depots.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5041012943. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.