Uhl, Gustav, House and Store
Why it's listed
At the corner of Avenue E and Eighth Street in San Antonio, a small plastered limestone building combines a two-room house, built about 1857, with a one-room store added about 1870. Locally this simple vernacular form is called an "Irish Flats" house, after the neighborhood's early Irish settlers. The land belonged to Jacob D. Wurzbach, and his stepson Gustav Uhl enlarged the building to open a grocery and dry goods store that became a popular neighborhood meeting place. Uhl ran the business for about forty-five years, and his family kept the property until 1962. Later owners restored it around 1985, and it now serves as offices. The building has a gabled standing seam metal roof, six-over-six wood windows, and a basement. It is recognized for its commercial role as a neighborhood store and as one of roughly ten surviving Irish Flats houses, retaining much of its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant under Criterion A in Commerce for its long use as a neighborhood grocery that served as a community gathering place. It is also significant under Criterion C in Architecture as one of only about ten surviving vernacular "Irish Flats" houses in the neighborhood.
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 02001061, listed September 26, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 721 Avenue E, San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | September 26, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001061 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1857-1952 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | No style (vernacular "Irish Flats" type) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition with a high degree of integrity after a restoration of about 1985; currently used as offices for a theater arts foundation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.43112, -98.48130 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 02001061.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000952
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.