Central Trust Company Building
Also known as: South Texas Building
Why it's listed
Rising twelve stories at the northwest corner of Navarro and Houston Streets in downtown San Antonio, this Beaux Arts office tower was built in 1918-1919 for the Central Trust Company. Fort Worth architects Sanguinet and Staats designed it with local architects Atlee B. Ayers and Charles T. Boelhauwe. Its steel and reinforced concrete frame is divided into a green granite base, a buff brick shaft with pivoting wood windows, and a terra-cotta capital with Corinthian piers and a bracketed cornice. The building matters as one of very few high-rise structures in the city and a rare Beaux Arts departure from the vernacular commercial buildings around it. It is also comparable to the Burk Burnett Building in Fort Worth by the same firm. A 1947 remodeling altered the lower floors and interior, but the upper exterior remained largely original. At the time of listing, the building stood vacant while a renovation restored its 1919 exterior.
Significance in brief: The building is an excellent example of an early twentieth century high-rise in San Antonio and one of few surviving early Beaux Arts office towers in Texas. It is also tied to Sanguinet and Staats, a prominent Fort Worth firm. Its style departs from the vernacular commercial architecture common downtown.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82004492, listed August 11, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 603 Navarro St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | August 11, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004492 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1918-1919 |
| Architect / builder | Sanguinet and Staats, architects (with Atlee B. Ayers and Charles T. Boelhauwe; J.P. Haynes, contractor) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant and under renovation at time of nomination; exterior being restored to its 1919 appearance and interior rehabilitated as offices. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.42646, -98.48978 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82004492.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7568634
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.