Arnold Bakery
Also known as: Reuter's Bakery; Black and White Cafe; Southern Barber Shop
Why it's listed
Built around 1906 for baker Richard Arnold, this one-story brick building at 1010 East Eleventh Street in Austin served as the bake house for a bakery Arnold founded on the site in 1892. Made of sand-colored local common brick, it has a stepped parapet, limestone windowsills and arched red brick window heads. The structure was lengthened around 1923 to hold a larger oven. Arnold's daughter and son-in-law, Rosa and Max Reuter, took over in 1922 and renamed it Reuter's Bakery. Later the buildings housed the Black & White Café, a barber shop and a recreation club serving African-American patrons. The building sat vacant for years before a 2002 restoration, guided by a 1906 photograph, adapted it for office use and added a modern east wing. It was listed for its connection to commerce and to the changing social makeup of the Robertson Hill neighborhood, and as a rare surviving early commercial building in east Austin.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under commerce as a rare surviving early 20th-century commercial building along a once-lively east Austin corridor. It is tied to the Arnold and Reuter family bakery and to the neighborhood's shift from a mixed-race community to African-American segregation. After the bakery era it served as a restaurant, barber shop and club for the African-American community.
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 03001416, listed January 14, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1010 E. Eleventh St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | January 14, 2004 |
| Reference number | 03001416 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1906-1953 |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 2002 and used as office space; the restoration was based on a 1906 photograph and includes a non-contributing 2002 east wing. It is a designated Austin Landmark. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 30.26961, -97.72970 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 03001416.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4794954
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.