Brauntex Theater
Why it's listed
Brauntex Theater is a two-story movie house at 290 W. San Antonio Street in downtown New Braunfels, Texas. Dallas architects Jack Corgan and W.J. Moore designed it for Griffith Consolidated Theaters, and local contractor Edwin A. Hanz built it in 1941-42. It opened on January 6, 1942, with Birth of the Blues. The stuccoed façade carries the main Art Moderne features: a neon-outlined vertical blade sign, a marquee over the sidewalk, porthole windows, and a semicircular ticket booth. Inside, the auditorium seats 325 on the main floor and 273 in the balcony. The theater showed its last films in 1998 after audiences declined. A nonprofit group bought the vacant building in 1999, rehabilitated it, and reopened it in April 2000 as a performing arts venue. The listing recognizes its role in local entertainment history and its example of Moderne theater design, where signage served as the building's main decoration.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues for significance under Criterion A for Entertainment/Recreation, given the theater's long role as a downtown movie house and later a community performing arts venue. Under Criterion C it is presented as a fine example of Art Moderne movie theater design, in which a vertical blade sign and marquee dominate a relatively plain façade.
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 08000240, listed March 24, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 290 W. San Antonio, New Braunfels |
|---|---|
| County | Comal County |
| Listed | March 24, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000240 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1942-1958 |
| Architect / builder | Jack Corgan and W.J. Moore, Dallas, Texas / Edwin A. Hanz, Hanz Construction Co., New Braunfels, Texas |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed as a movie theater in 1998; rehabilitated and reopened in 2000 as a community performing arts venue, currently in use as a theater. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Central New Braunfels Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.70111, -98.12647 (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 08000240.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4958300
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.