Freeze Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1887 on San Angelo's first street, this two-story sandstone building at 18 West Concho Avenue began as a blacksmith and wheelwright shop for Danish-born Peter K. Freeze, who rebuilt after a fire destroyed his earlier frame shop. The contractors were Carlisle, Jager & Kinney, and Freeze did the carpentry himself. The 2-part commercial block has large arched openings on the ground floor and segmentally arched windows above. Over time it served as a livery stable, stage line stop, saloon, auto dealership and parts business, and furniture company. Mid-20th-century changes, including plaster over the stone, a concrete beam across the front arches and a lowered second floor, were reversed in a restoration begun in 1993. It was listed for its architecture, as one of few surviving buildings from before the railroad reached the town and as a representative of late 19th-century local construction.
Significance in brief: The building is nominated at the local level under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a surviving example of a 2-part commercial block, a vernacular form important in San Angelo. It is one of the few surviving buildings from the period before rail service arrived. Its changing uses trace the town's shift from an agrarian community to a modern city.
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 97000615, listed June 20, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 18 W. Concho Ave., San Angelo |
|---|---|
| County | Tom Green County |
| Listed | June 20, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000615 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1887 |
| Architect / builder | Carlisle, Jager & Kinney (builders); Freeze, Peter K. (carpenter) |
| Architectural style | Other: 2-part commercial block |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored since 1993 to its original appearance and currently used for professional offices, described as housing a cable television construction company. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.45950, -100.43851 (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 97000615.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q54871522
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.