The Favorite Saloon Building (1874)

The Favorite Saloon Building (1874). 709 Water Street. , This was perhaps an early design by Alfred Giles, Architect. Constructed by F.J. Hamer beginning in 1874 and purchased in 1876 by William Heuermann, he opened a saloon and grocery., Later known as The Favorite Saloon, it was then operated by M.F. Weston and Ernest Schwethelm. Trail hands that drove cattle through Kerrville up the Great Western Cattle Trail frequented The Favorite. Behind the building was a camp yard used by ranchers and cowboys who bedded down in their wagons or on the ground. A metal staircase at the rear of the building accessed the upstairs, which during most of this era was a billiard hall. It continued as a saloon until 1920, when it closed its doors due to the National Prohibition Act., In 1937, after Lehmann's moved across the street, The Florette Shop, an elegant ladies' ready-to-wear, took the space in 1937. An unattended wood stove fire damaged merchandise in 1941, but did not harm the building. After repairs, Western Auto Associates operated a store here from 1942-1977 and in 1950, remodeled the front wall with glass and aluminum. Next was I Remember, an antique store, in 1977. , Ownership was passed from the Pampell Family to the Peterson Foundation and the building was used to store records and house a fitness center for hospital employees. , The building was restored in 1995 by Lyndia and William Rector.