Offenhauser Insurance Building

The site of the Offenhauser Building was first occupied by the First National Bank of Texarkana, Texas. This structure, an early two-story brick building was constructed in the late 1870s The bank, however, failed a few years later and in 1894 the building was sold by the Board of Directors to Fredrick Wilhelm Offenhauser. F.W.Offenhauser, the son of German immigrants, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. He was employed as a dry goods clerk with the C.E.Haydon & Company in Shelbyville, Illinois. When Hayden and Company opened a branch store in Texarkana, Offenhauser moved to the new store. Offenhauser held a second job at this time with the firm of Best & Beard Insurance Agency. In the pretypewriter days, Offenhauser was employed to write their fire insurance policies because of his clear legible hand. W. A. Kelsey, who was cashier of the short-lived First National Bank, formed a partnership with Offenhauser with Kelsey providing the financial backing. The new formed company began operating successfully on the second floor of the former First National Bank building. In 1888 Offenhauser bought out Kelsey's interest and for a short time John T. Owsley was a partner. However, from approximately 1890 onward the firm has operated under the name of F.W.Offenhauser and Company. In 1901, permission was granted by the City Council of Texarkana for a third floor to be added and extended out over the sidewalk on Pine and Third Streets. In actual fact, the building was completely re-constructed at that time, with little more than the walls of the earlier Bank building remaining. Stylistically, the Offenhauser Insurance Building is an early twentieth century commercial structure. The Offenhauser Insurance Building is located on a unique pie-shaped lot in the center of the Texarkana business district. This pivotal structure of the downtown area is bounded by State-line Avenue on the east. Pine Street on the west, and between Third and Fourth Streets. Consequently the building is not attached to any other structure and has four street facades. Because of the central location of the structure, the building is a vital part of the downtown city-scape and is visible from numerous vantage points. The Offenhauser Insurance Building, which is among the oldest structures of Texarkana, has been a city landmark closely connected with the history and development of the city. Offenhauser and Company are in the process of presenting The Offenhauser Insurance Building to the city of Texarkana to be restored and used as a museum.