Texas Building
Why it's listed
Rising five stories at 2200 Central Plaza in downtown Galveston, this stuccoed-brick commercial and office building was erected in 1905-06 for the Fellman Dry Goods Co. Architect Charles W. Bulger, one of the city's most active designers of the period, planned it at a cost of $59,000, and it was joined to Fellman's existing store at Avenue D and 22nd Street. Fellman's remained there through the 1921 directory. By 1923 it housed the Thompson Department Store, owned by Clark W. Thompson, who later represented the 7th U.S. Congressional District; the last listing for that store dates to 1930. The flat-roofed rectangular building has a plain parapet and cornice, retail display windows at street level, paired windows on the middle floors with molded architraves, and paired round-arch windows on the top floor. Its position on the downtown mall makes it a key part of the 22nd Street streetscape. Minor first-level alterations could be reversed.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the major buildings on the downtown Mall. It was built for Fellman Dry Goods Co., one of Galveston's earliest and at one time largest department stores, and was connected to Fellman's existing structure. It also anchors an important streetscape along 22nd 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 84001734, listed August 14, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2200 Central Plaza, Galveston |
|---|---|
| County | Galveston County |
| Listed | August 14, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001734 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles W. Bulger |
| Architectural style | Commercial |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition described as good; the original use continues. Alterations are described as easily reversible. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Strand Historic District, The |
| Coordinates | 29.30493, -94.79277 (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 84001734.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002035
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.