Plaza Place

Plaza Place. . The property in this block on the west side of the Public Square was owned by a distinguished list of families. The names, Who's Who in the early history of the town, include Piedras, Sterne, Rusk, Roberts, Taylor, Blake, Hayter, Hoya, Orton, Mast, Haltom, Voight, Wettermark, Mayer, Schmidt, Summers, and Davidsons., While this building has seen many changes over the years, the one and a half story commercial structure is one of the oldest still standing on Plaza Principal. Abe Mayer and John Schmidt, who purchased the lot in 1879, erected a brick building sometime shortly thereafter. It appears in pictures from the early 1880s. The first facade of the building had three porthole-like windows across the front and accentuated brick pilasters on the corners; the interior had a tall ceiling and a gallery supported by wooden posts. The structure housed the first home of the mercantile firm Mayer and Schmidt before the firm moved to the northeast corner of the Square in 1888. This building was one of the first commercial structures designed by German-born architect D. Rulfs after he immigrated to Texas at the invitation of John Schmidt. Schmidt also commissioned Rulfs to design other buildings in the downtown and his homestead on North Street., In the 1890s this building housed the mercantile firm of Joseph Zeve; it remained in general mercantile use until the 1920s when it housed a bottling operation. Frank Summers, who owned the building, operated a furniture store in the structure. The present brick facade dates from 1934. To meet the needs of the J.C. Penney Company, the owners strengthened the side walls, added a second story to the rear of the building, and placed a stepped parapet and plate glass windows on the front. Following Penney's long-term lease, the building has housed various businesses, including furniture, clothing, and antiques. Dr. Morris Jackson purchased the building 1996 and gave it the name Plaza Place.