Central Trust Company Building
a.k.a. South Texas Building
603 Navarro St., San Antonio, TXThe Central Trust Company Building is a historic building in San Antonio, Texas. It was built in 1919 and is an excellent example of an early twentieth century, high-rise commercial building in San Antonio and is one of the relatively few surviving examples of an early Beaux Arts Style office tower in Texas.
The Central Trust Company Building at 603 Navarro Street is an excellent example of an early twentieth century, high-rise commercial building in San Antonio and is one of the relatively few surviving examples of an early Beaux Arts Style office tower in Texas. Located a few blocks northwest of the Alamo, the twelve-story structure was designed by the well-known Fort Worth architectural firm of Sanguinet and Staats in association with local architects, Atlee B. Ayers and Charles T. Boelhauwe. Begun in 1919 and completed in December the following year, the Central Trust Company Building displays many similarities with Sanguinet and Staats' Burke Burnett Building (listed in the National Register) in Fort Worth. Through the building's history, the ground floor has been used for banking and/or retail space, while the upper floors have been leased as offices for professionals and businessmen. Few alterations have permanently affected the exterior's historic character; however, the base (floors one through three) was remodeled in 1947. The interior was substantially modified at this time. The current owners are presently restoring the exterior to its 1919 appearance and, abiding by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, are renovating the interior for use as modern office space.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.