Hardy-Williams Building
Also known as: Williams Pharmacy; Hillburn's Pharmacy; See Also:Hays County C
Why it's listed
Facing the courthouse square in San Marcos, this two-story commercial building at 127 East Hopkins Street was constructed before 1886 by H. Hardy as a feed store. Its front is ashlar limestone and its side walls are roughcut limestone. Five round-arched windows with keystones and stone hoodmolds line the second floor, and the side walls carry six similar windows with arches of reddish-brown brick. Later occupants included a hardware store run by Talmadge and Hudson. Around 1906, Dr. William C. Williams opened a medical office upstairs while his brother John ran a drugstore below. The business was sold after Dr. Williams died in 1947, though his heirs kept the building. A more elaborate cornice was removed between 1916 and the 1940s, and a rear addition was built in 1920, but the coffered pressed-tin ceiling, octagonal floor tiles and iron columns remain. It was judged the best preserved commercial structure on the north side of the square, and the pharmacy's soda fountain remains a downtown gathering place.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the best preserved commercial structure on the north side of the courthouse square and recalls the late 19th century before the area's later boom. It is noted for its round-arched second-floor windows and rough- and smooth-cut limestone. It also housed several businesses important to small-town life, notably a long-running pharmacy.
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 83004499, listed August 26, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 127 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos |
|---|---|
| County | Hays County |
| Listed | August 26, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004499 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates 1880-1885) |
| Architect / builder | H. Hardy (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition, altered, on its original site; used commercially as a pharmacy with a soda fountain and a second-floor pool hall. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Hays County Courthouse Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.88346, -97.94058 (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 83004499.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000900
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.