On the northwest corner of Mesquite and Peoples in downtown Corpus Christi sits a most unremarkable building, hardly worth a second glance. It has been vacant and boarded up for almost 50 years. But this building is unique.
It is the oldest standing commercial structure in downtown CC, and is the only building constructed with a cast iron frame. It was built in 1891 by partners John G. Hatch and George Robertson, who would open a retail grocery business in the new building. The store was said to be the finest grocery in the city, and the ornate building was described as the “handsomest” structure in Corpus Christi!
For its first 15 years, it was known as the “Hatch and Robertson Building”. The city’s Post Office was located in the building until 1899 and the United States Weather Bureau operated here from 1901 to 1908. The building would also become the first home of La Retama Library from 1909 to 1919.
In 1904, ownership of the “Hatch and Robertson” building would pass to Mr. Oscar C. Lovenskiold, former Mayor of Corpus Christi. In 1905, he leased the ground floor to Mr. Robert H. Bingham who would open a drug store that operated in the building until 1926. To this day, the “Bingham’s Drug Store” sign painted on the back of the building in 1905 is clearly visible.
After Oscar Lovenskiold’s death in 1908, ownership of the building would pass to his brother, Dr. Perry Lovenskiold, the city’s first dentist, and Mayor of Corpus Christi from 1921 to 1931. Today, the old Hatch and Robertson building is most commonly known as the “Lovenskiold Building”.
In the 1930’s, the building was occupied by a bank, and a Sherwin-Williams Paint store. The beautiful exterior of the building remained virtually intact. However, at some point in the mid-1940s to the late 1950s, the building was “modernized”. The roof decorations were removed and the ornate windows were bricked in. Two sides of the building were covered with stucco, totally changing its appearance.
From 1945 to 1958, the popular “Olympia Confectionary” occupied the building, followed by Stevenson’s Beauty College, the last major tenant in the historic building. The building was boarded up and has remained mostly vacant since 1975 (The popular “Fun Shop” occupied a small space in the far southwest corner of the building into the early 1980s).
In 1988, the owner of the Lovenskiold Building was given 180 days to renovate the building or a demolition order would be enforced. The 180 days passed without a renovation and the city did not follow through with its threat to demolish.
To this day, downtown’s oldest building remains vacant and deteriorating, while the beautiful facade from 1891 that lies just underneath the ugly stucco exterior remains hidden. And, the historic building’s ultimate fate remains unknown.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
