Fence at Alamo Cement Company
Why it's listed
Outside the old Alamo Cement Company office in San Antonio, a 125-foot concrete fence imitates rough-cut logs and branches. Sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez made it around 1926 using faux bois, a technique that shapes cement to resemble wood. The fence curves in an irregular C shape and centers on an arched entry formed by two large tree trunks that overlap at the top. Its rails reproduce the bark of at least twenty-four tree species, and surfaces include knotholes, wormholes and peeling bark, with traces of original color. An etched signature on the archway is unusual, as Rodriguez did not always sign his work. The commission came from company president Charles Baumberger, and it was one of the artist's earliest jobs for a commercial site. Fitting for a cement manufacturer, the owner hired a cement artisan to decorate his headquarters. The fence was listed for its artistic value as a distinctive work by Rodriguez, and it resembles his other work in Arkansas and New Mexico.
Significance in brief: The fence is nominated under Criterion C in the area of Art as a distinctive work by the noted concrete artist Dionicio Rodriguez. It was among his earliest commissions for a commercial site, and a cement company owner hired a cement artisan to decorate his headquarters. Its signature, "Made by D. Rodriguez," is unusual, since he did not always sign his work.
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 05000861, listed August 9, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7300 Jones Maltsberger Rd., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | August 9, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000861 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | c. 1926 |
| Architect / builder | Dionicio Rodriguez |
| Architectural style | Other: Faux bois sculpture |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a work of art (fence). A 2005 amendment states the fence and its setting are unchanged since the 1996 photographs. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.49772, -98.47903 (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.
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 05000861.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5442985
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.