The Blach Building - 1884 - Albany, TX - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious on Waymarking.com

A simple bronze plaque near the front entrance notes the building's name and its year of construction. Below it is a plaque noting its inclusion on the National Register, and a 1998 Texas Historical Marker up front not only notes its status as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, but is also provides some history of Albany's own Hell's Half Acre:

The land on this site, Lot 9, Block 3 of the original town plat of Albany, was purchased in 1882 by noted local restauranteur Charles Hartfield. He planned to build a restaurant next door, and the pending establishment was much anticipated by local diners. Shortly before his death in 1884, Hartfield sold the lot to Alabama businessman Max Blach. Blach was vice president of the Albany Water Company. He and partner N.H. Burns brought a system of running water to the town in 1884.

Blach began construction on this one-story native stone structure in March 1884. The building was completed in April and leased to J.R. Davis, who put it to its most infamous use. The White Elephant Saloon opened for business on May 1, 1884. Among its instantly popular features was a white elephant display which was removed from the rooftop early in the establishment's heyday. The perpetrators were believed to be citizens who disapproved of the saloon's raucous business.

Despite its popularity, Davis announced his intent to close the saloon in February 1886. The Blach Building soon was leased to W.M. Wigley, who operated a dry goods and furniture store on this site. Succeeding furniture businesses occupied the building for many years.

Blach's heirs sold the structure to S.C. Coffee in 1919. Coffee sold it in 1923 to T.J. Crow, who conveyed it to Albany businessman L.H. Hill (1859-1932) in 1925. The structure was used for various purposes over the years. It was the home of The Albany News in the 1940s and was the workshop and office of a pipe organ maker in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hill family maintained ownership of the edifice until 1977.

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The Momentum Operating Co., Inc. also has offices in the historic Hartfield Building just next door.

Year built or dedicated as indicated on the structure or plaque: 1884 Full Inscription (unless noted above): The Blach Building Erected 1884 Website (if available): [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   03/22/2022 WalksfarTX visited it