Lundberg Bakery (Austin, Texas) facts for kids
|
Old Bakery
|
|
.jpg)
The Old Bakery and Emporium
|
|
 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1006 Congress Avenue Austin, Texas, USA |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | John Didelot |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000214 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1969 |
The Old Bakery and Emporium is a really old and special building in downtown Austin, Texas. It used to be called the Lundberg Bakery. You can find it at 1006 Congress Avenue, which is very close to the Texas State Capitol building. This historic spot was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1969, meaning it's an important place to protect!
Contents
The Old Bakery: A Sweet Piece of History
This building is made of limestone (a type of stone) with bricks on the outside. Look closely and you'll see a big metal eagle on top of its pointy roof, facing Congress Avenue. The bakery first opened its doors in 1876.
Built for Baking
The building was a bakery for many years. It was owned by Charles Lundberg, who came from Sweden and settled in Austin in 1872. He ran the bakery until he passed away in 1895. Back then, bread wasn't sold in plastic bags like today! People would bring their own cloth-lined baskets to carry their fresh bread home. A famous short story writer named William Sydney Porter often visited the bakery. He would pass by it on his way to and from work at the General Land Office Building.
The bakery kept making bread until 1936. After that, the building was used for different things. It changed owners many times until the Austin Heritage Society bought it in 1962 and fixed it up.
Saved from Being Torn Down
In 1970, the Old Bakery was almost torn down! A new building for the Texas Department of Transportation was planned for the spot. But then, something amazing happened. When workers started digging next door, they found the old foundations (the bottom parts) of a previous state capitol building. This old capitol was a temporary building from 1882.
Because of this cool discovery, the old foundations were turned into a historical plaza. This helped save the Old Bakery from being demolished! The State of Texas later bought the Old Bakery and then gave it to the City of Austin in 1980.
What It Is Today
Today, the Old Bakery and Emporium is a busy and interesting place. It has the Lundberg-Maerki Historical Collection, which shares stories about the past. On the third floor, there's an art gallery that shows off artworks by local artists.
The Old Bakery and Emporium also has a shop where you can buy handmade gifts and beautiful art from local craftspeople. It's also a visitor information center, which means tourists can go there to find out about all the fun things to see and do around Austin.
Gallery
-
East elevation
-
East elevation detail
