Located thirty miles south of Dallas in the central part of Ellis County, the city of Waxahachie is widely known for being the site of the Superconducting Super Collider project, which was cancelled by Congress after much heated debate in 1993. While the name "Waxahachie" comes from an Indian word meaning "cow" or "buffalo", the city has been nicknamed by residents and visitors as the "Gingerbread City", due to the large number of picturesque Victorian style homes located within the city limits. Waxahachie's red sandstone and granite courthouse, built in 1897, showcases that turn of the century Victorian flare and is a key spot on the cities annual Gingerbread Trail home tour. Waxahachie is comfortable, family oriented suburban community just on the cusp of Dallas' urban center. While it is home to over 20,000 residents, Waxahachie has not lost that down home Texas flare. The City of Waxahachie is served by the Waxahachie Independent School District.