{"nrhp_refnum":"11000897","name":"Valley Fruit Company","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"724 N. Cage Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Pharr","county":"Hidalgo County","state":"TX","lat":26.203391050500045,"lon":-98.1815452494271,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-12-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 14-acre agricultural packing complex at 724 North Cage Blvd. in Pharr, Hidalgo County, Texas, built between 1947 and 1958 for grading, processing and packaging fruits and vegetables. It has a large nine-unit main building and a 1951 cotton gin.","why_significant":"In its heyday it was described as the world's largest grapefruit packing and shipping company, and later one of the largest agricultural packing facilities under one roof. It employed up to 1,500 people, the biggest employer in South Texas. It is also significant for its wood lamella truss roofs spanning huge areas.","narrative":"Valley Fruit Company is a large agricultural packing complex on North Cage Boulevard just north of downtown Pharr, Texas. Built from 1947 to 1958 on a 14-acre lot, it handled the grading, processing and packaging of citrus and vegetables. The main building links nine units, ranging from one to three stories, with concrete frames, brick and tile walls, and long-span arched wood lamella roofs; one central roof clears 89 feet. A 1951 cotton gin stands at the rear. At its peak the business was billed as the world's largest grapefruit packer, and after freezes in 1949 and 1951 it diversified into tomatoes and carrots, becoming the Valley Fruit and Vegetable Company. It employed as many as 1,500 people and drew migrant labor to the region. The complex was listed for its role in the area's citrus and vegetable commerce and for its distinctive roof construction. Some rear units have collapsed, while the core buildings remain in fair condition.","period_of_significance":"1947-1961","architect_builder":"Noser Lumber and Construction Company","architectural_style":"No Style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Buildings described as in fair condition overall; several units (7, 8, 9) have collapsed or lost integrity. Current function listed as work in progress.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.704661-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/9725/40972581/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/11000897.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000897/beb9523362-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000897/beb9523362-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Onleal91","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vally_Fruit_Co.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Onleal91</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vally_Fruit_Co.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972581","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000038"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/hidalgo-county/valley-fruit-company-11000897/"}