Wooten, Horace O., Grocery Company Warehouse
Also known as: 1967
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 at the corner of Walnut and North First streets, this one-story brick warehouse served the Horace O. Wooten Grocery Company, a wholesale firm that Wooten founded in 1898. Wooten had begun in the grain business before deciding he could profit more as a wholesale grocer, and his company grew quickly enough to need a large new building, which became the headquarters for a firm with 14 branch offices in West Texas. A fire in 1912 gutted the interior, but the building was rebuilt and reopened that December. The company stayed until the late 1950s. The warehouse is simple in form, with a flat concealed roof, brick walls, corbeled cornice, dentil courses and decorative brick patterns. It is recognized for its role in making Abilene a wholesale and distribution center, for its link to Wooten, and as a good local warehouse example. It still serves as a warehouse.
Significance in brief: The warehouse is tied to one of Abilene's best-known wholesale enterprises, which helped make the city a wholesale and distribution center for West Texas. It is also linked to founder Horace O. Wooten, and it is a well-crafted local example of a warehouse with patterned brickwork.
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 92000238, listed March 23, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 101 Walnut, Abilene |
|---|---|
| County | Taylor County |
| Listed | March 23, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000238 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906-1939 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and retaining its integrity, though door and window changes have altered its appearance; currently still used as a warehouse. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Abilene Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.44956, -99.73126 (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 92000238.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000895
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.