Merchants Ice and Cold Storage Company
Why it's listed
Four utilitarian buildings on a city block just east of downtown San Antonio make up this former ice plant and cold storage warehouse. Chartered in 1909 by a partnership led by Louisville manufacturer Henry Vogt, the company built a four-story brick plant beside the railroad tracks near the Southern Pacific depot. It expanded repeatedly through 1957, shifting from ice production to cold storage as home refrigerators became common. Freezer space grew during World War II, and postwar warehouses served distribution contracts with the Quartermaster's Market Center. The buildings have few windows and no decorative detailing, but they keep their loading docks, cork-insulated rooms and cooling coils. Three use the lift-slab technique, an approach pioneered in San Antonio by engineer Tom Slick c. 1950 to build quickly and cheaply. The complex reflects the growth of the local ice and refrigeration industry and the use of this construction method. The company closed in 1999, and the property has been vacant since.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant under Criterion A in the area of Industry as a local example of the development of the ice and cold storage business over about 90 years. It also meets Criterion C in Engineering for its use of the lift-slab construction technique, pioneered in San Antonio by Tom Slick.
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 02001060, listed September 26, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1305 E. Houston St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | September 26, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001060 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1909-1957 |
| Architect / builder | W.E. Simpson Company (engineers)- additions including 1933 and 1948; Louis L. Guido (builder)- 1933 addition; J.B. Martin (builder)- 1948 addition. |
| Architectural style | Other - Warehouse |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by Merchants Ice and Cold Storage from 1909 until 1999; vacant since 1999, in fair to good condition, and slated for commercial redevelopment. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 29.42533, -98.47721 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 02001060.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000190
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.