Bertram Building
Why it's listed
Located at Guadalupe and 16th Streets in downtown Austin, this two-story limestone building began in the 1870s as the general store and wagon yard of German immigrant Rudolph C. Bertram. The structure was enlarged in stages, roughly doubling in width in the 1880s, and its walls combine square-cut stone on the formal south front with rougher stone on the west and east sides. A concrete porch wraps the south and west sides, and a 1990s awning replicates one from about the 1880s. The complex once served farmers and travelers with groceries, feed, farm tools and stables. After Bertram, merchant John Doehler ran the business, followed by a neighborhood grocery that closed in 1914. The building then sat vacant for more than twenty-five years before reopening as a restaurant in 1940. Food service has continued since. Its significance rests on its role in Austin's early commercial growth, and it keeps notable integrity of design, materials and workmanship despite taller, denser surroundings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for the building's role in Austin's commercial development, serving as a trading point between the growing city and surrounding rural areas. It later shifted to neighborhood grocery and restaurant uses. It retains a high degree of integrity despite changes in its urban setting.
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 12000590, listed August 28, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1601 Guadalupe St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | August 28, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000590 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Rudolph C. Bertram (original builder/proprietor) |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Two-part Commercial Block (early Texas Vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a restaurant; condition described as very good, following a long vacancy in the early 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 30.28083, -97.74268 (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 12000590.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002729
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.