The Lundberg Bakery (now known as the Old Bakery and Emporium) is a historic building in downtown

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. It is located at 1006 Congress Avenue, half a block south of the

Texas State Capitol The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 ...

grounds. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on December 17, 1969.

History

The building is constructed of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

with a brick facade, and features a large cast-iron eagle at the peak of the gabled roof overlooking

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 ...

. The building was completed for use as a bakery in 1876. The building served as a bakery until the death of its Swedish born owner, Charles Lundberg (1835-1895), who had settled into Austin during 1872. At the time the bakery first 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 William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...

frequented the bakery as he passed it to and from work while employed at the General Land Office Building. . The building was used as a bakery until 1936, and after that for a variety of purposes. 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 The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...

, but saved when excavations next door uncovered the foundations of the previous state capitol building (a temporary structure built in 1882). Following this discovery, the foundations were converted to a historical plaza, and the bakery was saved. The Old Bakery was sold to the State of Texas which deeded the building and property to the City of Austin in 1980. The Old Bakery and Emporium now houses the Lundberg-Maerki Historical Collection. The art gallery located on the third floor features a rotating schedule of exhibitions including artworks of local artists. The Old Bakery and Emporium operates as a consignment store spotlighting handcrafted gifts and fine art by local artisans with a visitor information center for tourist looking for fun attractions around Austin.

Gallery

File:Lundberg Bakery, 1006 Congress Avenue, Austin, Travis County, TX HABS TEX,227-AUST,19- (sheet 3 of 5).tif, East elevation File:Lundberg Bakery, 1006 Congress Avenue, Austin, Travis County, TX HABS TEX,227-AUST,19- (sheet 4 of 5).tif, East elevation detail

References

External links

Old Bakery and Emporium
- City of Austin
Old Bakery and Emporium - Conditions Assessment
{{National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas Buildings and structures in Austin, Texas National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas Bakeries of the United States Swedish-American culture in Texas Art museums and galleries in Texas Museums in Austin, Texas Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks City of Austin Historic Landmarks