Wehring Shoe Shop and Residence
Also known as: Site No. 5
Why it's listed
On Main Street in Burton, beside the Burton Farmers Gin and close to the town's commercial core, this property combines a home and a working shoe shop. The rear dwelling was built about 1916 by carpenter Will Weeren and has bungalow details such as a battered skirt foundation, a tapered porch column, paired windows and a low hipped metal roof. A two-story frame commercial building was attached to its front, with a shed-roof porch and a pair of centered doors. Three outbuildings stand at the back, including the original cobbler's shop. Otto Wehring Sr., a cobbler and harness maker, bought the dwelling in 1922 and worked from a small gabled building at the front of the lot. After his death in 1931, his son moved that building to the rear and had carpenters A. Huebner and R. Rosenbaum add the new shop. The business supported Burton's role as a trade and service center for western Washington County from 1922 to 1941, and the shop operated until 1976.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant under Criterion A for its role in strengthening Burton's trade and service function for western, agrarian Washington County between 1922 and 1941. Otto Wehring Sr., a cobbler and harness maker, began business here in 1922, and his son continued the trade in a new shop until 1976. Cobbler's tools remain intact in the shop.
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 91000714, listed June 11, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St. SE of Burton St., Burton |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 11, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000714 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Will Weeren; Arthur Huebner; Rudi Rosenbaum |
| Architectural style | Bungalow; Other: Two-part commercial block |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; tools of the cobbler's trade remain intact in the shop. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 30.18005, -96.59355 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 91000714.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002467
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.