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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Mystery building, Kerrville, before automobiles

I have checked my various sources -- maps, old photographs, etc. -- and while I know where this building is located, I'm not exactly sure what it is. The one I'm talking about is the one behind the two wagons with a little taller part in the middle of the facade.  Sure, it's in the location of the Charles Schreiner Bank.  But the bank, while also 2 stories tall, has a completely different window placement.  You'd think if they just covered the old building with brick, the windows would be in the same position for both.
This shot was taken from Earl Garrett Street looking toward Water Street.  The river would be behind the building.
I know the building does not appear in the 1898 or the 1904 Sanborn-Perris maps.
Special thanks to James Partain for sharing this photo with me.
I'd appreciate your guesses in the comments below.
Click on image to enlarge
Wagons on Earl Garrett Street (then called Mountain Street), Kerrville, date unknown.
For more information about Joe's book, please click here.

10 comments:

  1. Is this another April Fools prank?

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is indeed a mystery.

    I looked back at all the photos that Joe has posted on his blog over the years. I could find nothing to resemble this building.

    In what year was the bank building first built?

    ReplyDelete
  3. This mystery must be solved; otherwise I won't sleep at night.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Did Mr. Schreiner build the bank building, or did he buy a pre-existing building?

    I don't have the answer to that question, and to quote Doctor Sheldon Cooper, "What good is a question if I can't answer it."

    ReplyDelete
  5. This photo still bothers me.

    Can it be determined if the building in this photo has the same physical dimensions as Schreiner Bank?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a theory.

    Looking at the 1916 Sanborn Maps, Sheet # 2, I see that the Schreiner Bank Building had already been constructed across the street from Schreiner's Store.

    On the map, it appears that the new Schreiner Bank is not aligned with the buildings that have been constructed next to it (the bank sets back a little farther than the other buildings).

    My theory is that the photo above shows the bank building as it appeared when first built.

    I seem to remember that Mr. Schreiner remodeled his department store in the 1920's. If so, I am guessing that, at the same time, he removed the taller part of the original bank facade and then built a new facade on the front of the bank building.

    The new facade extended the front of the building enough that it was then in alignment with the other buildings that were constructed next to it.

    That is why the building shown above looks differently than all the other old photos that we have seen of the bank building.

    I have no idea whether my theory is correct, but at least I tried to solve the mystery.

    Writing all these words has exhausted me, so now I have to take a nap.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Joe,

    Has this mystery been solved?

    ReplyDelete
  8. This building has chimneys on the left side.

    Are there any existing photos of the Schreiner Bank Building that have chimneys in the same location as the ones in this photo (I'm trying to verify that this is truly the bank building)?


    If this is the original bank building, the taller part of the facade could have been altered at any time over the years.

    Plus, I have a question about the front, first floor windows in this photo.

    Are they actually windows, or in this photo is the building still under construction and what looks like large first floor windows are actually large openings (holes, if you will) that have not yet had the smaller windows installed.

    There appears to be a reflection in one of the windows (if it is a window). It may be a reflection in the glass window, or it may be something inside the building that can be seen through the unfinished windows.

    If there any logic to my thought process, or am I just whistling Dixie?

    ReplyDelete
  9. After another look at the second floor windows, which are different than the windows I remember in the bank building, tells me that my last post is invalid.

    ReplyDelete
  10. In the comment above (posted at 1:46 a.m. on July 2, 2011), I meant to type:

    {Is} there any logic to my thought process ...,

    instead I typed:

    {If} there any logic to my thought process ...

    I feel better now that I have corrected my comment.

    P.S. The corrected comment is still invalid.

    ReplyDelete

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