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Lundberg Bakery (Austin, Texas)
Encyclopedia
The Lundberg Bakery, also known as the Old Bakery and Emporium, is a historic bakery building currently serving as a gift shop in downtown Austin, Texas
. The building was completed in 1876 and is located at 1006 Congress Avenue, half a block south of the Capitol
grounds. At the time the bakery began operations, bread was not sold wrapped or packaged. People would wait in line with cloth lined baskets to place the bread in after buying it. Short story writer William Sydney Porter
frequented the bakery as he passed it to and from work while employed at the General Land Office Building
.
The building served as a bakery until its owner, Swedish immigrant Charles Lundberg, died in 1895. The building changed hands frequently until being bought and refurbished by the Austin Heritage Society in 1962. It was threatened with demolition in 1970, when a new building was planned for the Texas Department of Transportation
, but saved when excavations next door uncovered the foundations of the previous state capitol building (a temporary structure built in 1882). Following the discovery, the foundations were converted to a historical plaza, and the bakery was saved.
The building is constructed of limestone
with a brick facade, and features a large cast-iron eagle at the peak of the gabled roof overlooking Congress Avenue
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 17, 1969.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The building was completed in 1876 and is located at 1006 Congress Avenue, half a block south of the Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
grounds. At the time the bakery began operations, bread was not sold wrapped or packaged. People would wait in line with cloth lined baskets to place the bread in after buying it. Short story writer William Sydney Porter
O. Henry
O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
frequented the bakery as he passed it to and from work while employed at the General Land Office Building
General Land Office Building (Austin, Texas)
The General Land Office Building in Austin, Texas is the oldest surviving state government office building in the city, and the first building designed by a university-trained architect . The building features a dramatic medieval castle style known as Rundbogenstil, or "rounded arch" around the...
.
The building served as a bakery until its owner, Swedish immigrant Charles Lundberg, died in 1895. The building changed hands frequently until being bought and refurbished by the Austin Heritage Society in 1962. It was threatened with demolition in 1970, when a new building was planned for the Texas Department of Transportation
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
, but saved when excavations next door uncovered the foundations of the previous state capitol building (a temporary structure built in 1882). Following the discovery, the foundations were converted to a historical plaza, and the bakery was saved.
The building is constructed of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
with a brick facade, and features a large cast-iron eagle at the peak of the gabled roof overlooking Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 17, 1969.
External links
- Old Bakery and Emporium - City of Austin