Humpty Dumpty Store
Why it's listed
Humpty Dumpty Store is a small one-story commercial building at 218 N. Bryan, on a street corner in Bryan's central business district. Built of load-bearing brick and dated by the form to about 1925, it has a flat roof, a three-bay facade with a central double-door entrance, fixed wood-sash display windows, and a wood canopy on rod supports. A small band of basketweave brickwork decorates the parapet. Its significance lies in commerce. Bryan once had many small grocery stores, but large supermarkets after World War II led to the closure of most of them. This store, founded in 1927 according to the inventory, remains as a reminder of that type of business. City directories name W.A. Stassney as proprietor from the 1930s through the 1960s. The interior, with its wooden shelves, is also considered noteworthy and may be original. The building was in fair condition and still in commercial use when recorded.
Significance in brief: The store is significant under commerce as a rare local example of the small neighborhood grocery that was once common in Bryan before post-World War II supermarkets displaced them. The form also notes that the wooden-shelved interior is noteworthy and possibly original. City directories show W.A. Stassney ran the business from the 1930s through the 1960s.
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 87001631, listed September 25, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 218 N. Bryan, Bryan |
|---|---|
| County | Brazos County |
| Listed | September 25, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001631 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular commercial structure |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; present use is commercial. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Bryan Historic District |
| Coordinates | 30.67551, -96.37390 (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 87001631.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.