Texas Highway Department Building, Warehouse and Motor Vehicle Division
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 at 100 Paint Rock Road in San Angelo, this two-story building served the Texas Highway Department, which the state had created three years earlier. It housed the offices of the district engineer. The structure is symmetrical and rectangular, with stucco over concrete block, a flat roof and a simple design. Four bands circle the building at the water table, the second-floor sills, and the top and bottom of the parapet. A centered entry sits in a slightly projecting one-story, square-arched opening with stone trim. Windows are six-over-six double-hung sash, with small decorative ceramic tiles set above the ground floor. The building was listed for its link to the development of the local highway system and for showing San Angelo's role as a transportation center. It reflects the start of state and federal involvement in road building and a shift from reliance on the railroad toward road travel. The state highway agency objected to the listing, but the building was listed.
Significance in brief: Built three years after the state created its Highway Department, it housed the district engineer's offices and reflects San Angelo's role as a transportation center for western Texas. It represents the arrival of state and federal participation in road building and the shift away from dependence on the railroad. Its vernacular design is typical of state-owned buildings of the 1920s.
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 88002582, listed November 25, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 100 Paint Rock Rd., San Angelo |
|---|---|
| County | Tom Green County |
| Listed | November 25, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is described as good, and the site is original. The state highway agency, which owns it, said in 1987 that the building is in public service and subject to continual alteration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.44511, -100.41913 (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 88002582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001370
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.