719 Water Street

This building, now Baublit's, was originally part  of the Arcadia and was divided later.
Many original features of the Arcadia Theater, including the tile floor, are visible in this shop.


The floor tiles, shown here, were Tarascan-made in Patzcauro, Michoacan, Mexico.

The original tile floor

I've been told that at one time this was the entrance to the Cascade Pool.

Above the base of the stairs to the second floor is a hand-painted sign for the Guadalupe Cafe.  This was the outside wall for the popular restaurant before the theater was erected in 1926.  The Guadalupe Cafe closed in 1932.

The Cafe building was two story.  A door to access that second story is visible today outside.

The first business to occupy this space was the Arcadia Coffee Nook, which opened July 1, 1926, Mrs. Nita Ahrenbeck, owner.

She sold the business to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Morris in September, 1927, who began to advertise "Special Mexican Dinners And Mexican Dishes Every Saturday".  The cafe closed in early 1928.

It was followed by the Revigator sales office.  In the Kerrville Mountain Sun, March 29, 1928, appeared the following announcement: "We Are Permanently Located in the Arcadia Theatre Building (Ground Floor) Will Open Friday, March 30th.  You Are Invited to Come in and Drink (Free) Radio-Active Water From the Re-vig-a-tor at All Times. Radium Ore Re-Vig-a-tor Sales Co. of Kerr County, A. L. Butler, Rep."

The Radium Ore Revigator was a pseudo-medical device consisting of a ceramic water crock lined with radioactive materials.  Water was stored overnight then consumed the next day.  It was claimed to treat a wide range of conditions such as senility, arthritis, and flatulence.

The building when it housed Custer's Last Lunch Stand

A variety of other businesses operated here later, including Kerrville Realty in the 1940s and 1950s, followed by Meek Real Estate until 1973.
In 1974 Ken & Mary's "Now" Shop moved in and was here until January 1979, followed by The Peddler's Cart craft shop.  A series of lunch places with catchy names such as Custer's Last Lunch Stand (1983-1991), Water Street Baking Co. (1991-1994), and Your Favorite Hero (1994-about 1996) followed.  It has been home to Baublit's Jewelers since 1998.

703 Water Street

This one story addition to Pampell's was erected in 1928. There had been a one story building here earlier, but it was torn down and replaced with this new building. When it was constructed, the entire facade of Pampell's was redone in brown brick to provide a harmonious look to the front.  It was described at the time as being "Spanish style".  A. P. Rheiner & Son of San Antonio was the contractor.

Contrary to what you might think from the tiled floor sign at the entry, the first tenant was NOT a jeweler. It was Poole & Clark men's store, which moved to this new space in May, 1928.  After Poole & Clark closed, Williams-Heckler men's store was here until they moved to a purpose-built store on Earl Garrett Street in 1949.
The JEWELER sign on the entry tiles is from the time when Lewis Jewelry was here August 1949 until 1957.  In April 1957, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Roy Brehmer purchased Lewis' Jewelry Store, merged the two stores, and moved to the 703 Water Street location.  The store was now known as Brehmers' Jewelers. It was here into 1970.
A variety of other retail stores have been housed here since.

713 Water Street

This building at 713 Water Street was constructed in 1923, three years before the Arcadia. It was originally home to the Cecil Robinson Clothing Company, followed shortly by Poole & Clark men's furnishings. 

The Bon Ton, a ladies' clothing shop was here briefly, then in February, 1929, Bill Saludis bought the building for the future use of his restaurant. He leased the space out for several years before opening the Manhattan Cafe in December 1932.  Earlier in the year, he bought the Guadalupe Cafe, located a few doors down, and after a brief time, consolidated the Guadalupe Cafe and Bill's Sandwich Shop into this building.  Saludis turned it into a showplace.  It featured black and white tile, long counters with shiny chrome stools and white clad tables. 

 The distinctive black and white tiles still adorn the outside the building.

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the Manhattan Cafe was one of the first businesses in Kerrville to obtain a license to sell.

In 1938, after a renovation, the Manhattan Cafe proudly announced it was now the first air-conditioned building in Kerrville.  The newspaper reported that at this time the waitresses were outfitted in "smart, tailor-made uniforms, which added to the attractiveness of the place."  

The restaurant continued under new ownership from 1941 into the 1950s. A series of other small businesses followed, including a florist shop and a clothing store.

Shown here (to the right in this photo) is the building in its original appearance when it housed Poole & Clark, Inc.