Maverick Building
Why it's listed
Rising nine stories at the corner of North Presa and East Houston Streets, this 1922 office building was among the tallest in downtown San Antonio when it opened. Its reinforced concrete frame is clad in red brick, with a cut-stone base on the north and west sides featuring Corinthian pilasters. The interior kept a marble-trimmed lobby, an open cast iron stairway, oak trim and walk-in vaults. The Maverick family built it on the site of their former hotel, after land was sold to extend Presa Street north to Houston Street. Architect Lou Harrington of L. Harrington & Company designed it, and it remains his only known high-rise in the city. It was listed as an early local example of skyscraper design and reinforced concrete construction, and for its link to the city's street improvements, its 1920s building boom and the Maverick family's development of Houston Street. Ground-floor changes around 1950 are the main exterior alteration, and the building was vacant when documented.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be an intact, early example of San Antonio's skyscraper architecture and of reinforced concrete construction, and the only known local high-rise by L. Harrington & Company. It is also tied to the city's early-1920s street improvements, its 1920s building boom, and the Maverick family's long role in developing Houston Street.
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 94001593, listed January 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 606 N. Presa, San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | January 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 94001593 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1945 |
| Architect / builder | L. Harrington & Company (architects); Hedrick Construction (foundation contractor); Schoenfield, Charles (building contractor) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Skyscraper |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant or not in use; the building was a viable office building until about 15 years earlier and was being considered for conversion to apartments. It has limited water damage and a gutted third floor. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.40768, -98.48823 (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 94001593.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001611
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.