The Brown Building

Have you ever noticed the letter "B" in the corner trim work of this early art deco building at the corner of Main and Earl Garrett Streets? It was erected for W. B. Brown in 1926, so this a monogram.  

The original building on this corner was nearly destroyed by fire in December 1925, so Brown's primary goal in constructing this replacement building was to make it "fireproof".

The June 17, 1926, Kerrville Mountain Sun reported "Construction of the modern one-story, fire-proof store building for W. B. Brown at the corner of Earl Garrett and Main Streets will start in the next few days.  Architect’s plans for the Brown building include space for three stores and a drive-in filling station, to be built of reinforced concrete, brick and tile with a foundation for additional stories.  The contract was awarded Monday to W. C. Thrailkill of San Antonio."  Like the Bahre Building, this is another where the builders planned ahead for the possibility of expansion, although here too the second floor was never built.

The drive-in filling station, initially owned by R. A. Remschel, was on the corner. There is evidence of the gas station still visible. In the photo below, look at the telephone pole on the corner. You can see where the sidewalk is cut at an angle behind the pole.  That is where cars used to pull up to the gas pump.