Marfa Book Co. opened in 1999 in the West Texas town of Marfa. In 2005, the Dallas Morning News called it a “world-class bookstore.”
More than books
According to a 2005 report in Shelf Awareness, the store included a coffee and wine bar and an art gallery, giving locals and visitors a place to browse and linger. Marfa’s reputation as an art destination has made the bookstore a natural gathering place.
A town that changed
Louis Dobay, who managed the store at the time, said newcomers were changing Marfa but were also being shaped by longtime residents. That blend of old and new is part of what gives the town its character.
Know before you go
- Location: Marfa, in the Big Bend region of West Texas.
- Check the store’s website for hours and its online shop.
Marfa Book Co. shows how a single independent bookstore can anchor a small town’s creative life.
Featured photo: Downtown Marfa by Mathieu Lebreton, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
