National Register Listing

Beaumont Commercial District (Boundary Increase)

Roughly bounded by Willow, Neches, Gilber and Main Sts., Beaumont, TX

The Beaumont Commercial District encompasses the city's central business district and includes structures dating from the late 19th century to the early 1960s. The oldest buildings in the district represent the city's economic shift from a cattle and agricultural center to an important regional lumber and rice-milling center. There was a noticeable surge in construction in the 1910-1940s period when Beaumont prospered during two oil booms. Most of the buildings in the district are one- and two-part commercial, public, and social service structures and many unfortunately are vacant. The district was originally listed in the National Register in 1978 in the area of Commerce Industry and Architecture, at the local level of significance. The nomination amendment adds three areas that include nine (9) contributing buildings and one (1) non-contributing building. The period of significance for the district is extended to 1958 to incorporate post-World War II development and recognize that despite a slowdown in new construction, downtown remained vital as the economic center of the city. A second period of significance (1962- 63), has been added to recognize the exceptional significance of the First Security National Bank, a large-scale New Formalist building featuring a distinctive perforated cast concrete screen, which meets the criteria for its distinct design, for its role as the headquarters of the largest and most influential bank in postwar Beaumont, and for its association with public and private efforts to revitalize downtown in the early 1960s.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2008.