Wunsche Bros. Saloon and Hotel
Also known as: Spring Cafe; Wunsche Bros. Cafe & Saloon
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 at 103 Midway Street in Spring, Texas, this two-story wooden saloon and hotel was raised by members of the Wunsche family, German immigrants who settled the area in the 1840s. Spring had become a major railroad switchyard, and the building housed and fed railroad employees. Local accounts say it went up in two months using heart pine from a nearby mill. The frame structure sits on brick piers and has clapboard siding, a gabled roof, a two-story gallery and a false front used for signage. Upstairs, boarding rooms flank a central hallway. After the roundhouse left in 1923, the railroad town declined. The building was leased to various operators, closed during Prohibition, and later operated as the Spring Cafe, known for hamburgers. The family sold it in 1982 after 121 years of ownership, and a careful rehabilitation followed. It is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Spring and the main remaining link to the town's railroad era.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the oldest surviving commercial structures in Spring and remains on its original site. It was built by a pioneering local family to lodge and serve railroad workers, and it is the last building closely tied to the town's railroading past. Its simple vernacular form reflects commercial architecture once common in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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 84001849, listed February 16, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 103 Midway St., Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | February 16, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001849 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Wm. Wunsche, Sr., Ralph Hanks, Voress, Bonin, Jim Burris |
| Architectural style | Vernacular commercial building |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated and in use as a restaurant and bar; condition listed as excellent, with a noncontributing rear addition for kitchen and toilets. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 30.07919, -95.41764 (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 84001849.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107317884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.