McAllen in Hidalgo County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
M & J Nelson Building
[Top plaque]
Built in 1949
Listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
[Bottom plaque]
M & J Nelson Building
Built 1949
is designated a
McAllen Landmark
Recommended by the
McAllen Historic Preservation Council
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.
Location. 26° 12.073′ N, 98° 14.102′ W. Marker is in McAllen, Texas, in Hidalgo County. Marker is at the intersection of South Main Street and Chicago Avenue, on the left when traveling north on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 308 S Main St, McAllen TX 78501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. M. & J. Nelson Building (here, next to this marker); McAllen Post Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Sacred Heart Catholic Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Presbyterian Church of McAllen (approx. 0.2 miles away); McAllen, The Beginning (approx. ¼ mile away); Casa de Palmas
this page online
Regarding M & J Nelson Building. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:
The M & J Nelson Building, a two-part commercial block designed and constructed between 1948 and 1950 for the J. C. Penney Company department stores, remains a distinctive downtown landmark in McAllen, Texas. The 30,000 square foot, 3-story reinforced concrete building features a Streamlined Moderne exterior finished in horizontal bands of red and buff brick with cast stone trim. Recessed entry doors and stair rails are aluminum, as are the two exterior display cases. The building was designed with a 13-passenger elevator, one of only two or three elevators in McAllen buildings at the time, as well as one of the first air-conditioning systems in the city. While some changes have been made, the building retains a great deal of integrity and still functions as the downtown location of its original major tenant.
via NPS, 1950
2. M & J Nelson Building
National Register of Historic Places website entry
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Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 15, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on April 16, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on April 15, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
