First National Bank of San Antonio
Also known as: Old San Antonio National Bank; Brackenridge Bank
Why it's listed
Built in 1885-86 at 213 West Commerce Street in San Antonio, this small limestone building housed the San Antonio National Bank, later taken over by the First National Bank of San Antonio. George W. Brackenridge, the banker who founded the enterprise about 1866, erected it at a cost of more than $47,000. Brackenridge held the first national bank charter issued in Texas, and the bank was considered the city's leading bank the year after the building opened. The long, narrow structure has quarry-faced, random-coursed limestone walls, stilted round-arched windows in the Saracenic style, Romanesque Revival columns and details, and a small corner minaret or bartizan. This fanciful look contrasted with the classical styles usually chosen for banks. Contemporary accounts indicate no professional architect or contractor took part; Brackenridge apparently conceived the design and had it built with day labor. The building remains largely unaltered, and its historic site was later defined as Lots 13 and 14 of New City Block 116.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bank as the pioneer national bank in Texas, founded by Brackenridge about 1866 and soon the city's leading bank. Its Saracenic design with Romanesque Revival details departed from the usual classical bank architecture. It was apparently conceived by Brackenridge himself and built with day labor, without a professional architect or contractor.
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 72001348, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 213 W. Commerce St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001348 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885-86 (19th Century) |
| Architect / builder | No professional architect or contractor; apparently designed and built by George W. Brackenridge with day labor |
| Architectural style | Victorian-romantic, Saracenic style with Romanesque Revival details |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and largely unaltered apart from unobtrusive additions. The form marks the present use as vacant, says the bank has relocated and the property is for sale. A later amendment places the boundary on Lots 13 and 14. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Main and Military Plazas Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.42475, -98.49030 (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 72001348.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107329723
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.