{"nrhp_refnum":"09000840","name":"Hill, R.J., Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"401 Commerce St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Palacios","county":"Matagorda County","state":"TX","lat":28.701984092000032,"lon":-96.21558599599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-10-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story commercial building at 401 Commerce Street in downtown Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas, built in 1910 for merchant R.J. Hill with J.G. Bontrager as general contractor.","why_significant":"The building reflects Palacios' early 20th-century economic growth, when the town was promoted as a seaside resort, and is argued to be significant locally under Criterion A for Commerce. It is also considered a good local example of Romanesque stylistic influence in a commercial building, notable for cast concrete blocks made on site.","narrative":"Built in 1910 on a corner lot at Commerce and 4th Streets in Palacios, Texas, this two-story commercial building was constructed for merchant Robert J. Hill to replace his earlier wood frame general store. Contractor J.G. Bontrager built it of rock-faced concrete blocks cast on site, combined with red brick arches and decorative brickwork in a Richardsonian Romanesque manner. Round-arched storefronts, a corner entrance beneath paired arches, and a cast concrete sign reading R.J. Hill 1910 mark the main facade. The ground floor held retail space and the upper floor was a residence. Over time the building served as a general store, doctor's office and beer parlor. It is regarded as one of the oldest commercial buildings in town and reflects Palacios' growth in the early 1900s, when promoters marketed the bayside community to settlers. Its intact design and unusual construction material led to its recognition. It is now being renovated as a local historical museum.","period_of_significance":"1910-1946","architect_builder":"J.G. Bontrager, general contractor.","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Romanesque","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Undergoing exterior restoration and interior renovation for use as a local museum; the interior has been gutted for conversion into gallery, office and storage space.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.320821-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/56/9729/40972956/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/09000840.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000840/0bc65f2b93-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000840/0bc65f2b93-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hill_Building_Palacios_Texas.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hill_Building_Palacios_Texas.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972956","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._J._Hill_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7273714"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/matagorda-county/hill-r-j-building-09000840/"}