McKie-Bass Building
Also known as: Hays County Abstract Company Building; See Also:Hays County C
Why it's listed
Located at 111 North Guadalupe Street on the west side of the Hays County courthouse square in San Marcos, this two-story commercial building was put up in 1893 by W.R. and Daniel McKie and their sister Jennie McKie Hutchins as an investment. Its three-bay first-floor shopfront, made by Mesker Bros. Front Builders of St. Louis, is cast iron with a metal cornice, both showing stylized foliate motifs. The red-brick second story has windows set in niches with segmental arches and zigzag brickwork. Inside, a pressed-tin ceiling survives above a modern first-floor interior, along with a Mosler vault door from the old First National Bank. Early uses included a grocery, a drugstore run by C.T. Bass and his son, and a hardware business. It was once one of three identical buildings. The neighboring two lost their cast-iron fronts, leaving this one as the only commercial building in San Marcos with its original iron facade intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only commercial building in San Marcos that has kept its cast-iron front. It is also one of the outstanding 19th-century structures on the courthouse square, with well-preserved features. It was originally one of three identical buildings, and the adjoining two lost their cast-iron facades.
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 83003797, listed December 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 111 N. Guadalupe St., San Marcos |
|---|---|
| County | Hays County |
| Listed | December 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003797 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific date 1893) |
| Architect / builder | Mesker Bros. Front Builders, St. Louis (first-floor front); erected by W.R. and Daniel McKie and Jennie McKie Hutchins |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, on its original site, and occupied for commercial use by an abstract company. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.87346, -97.94162 (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 83003797.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002234
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.