Book Building
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
During the 1850s, the U.S. Army occupied several stone and adobe buildings which stood at this site. Dwight Dana Book (1869-1955), a civil engineer and veteran of the Spanish-American War, bought the property in 1904. He had this red brick commercial building erected in 1906. Attorney's, realtors, architects, physicians and other tenants leased office space here. A popular club called the "Night Spot" was once located in the basement level. (1978)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the 1850s this San Antonio corner held stone and adobe buildings used by the U.S. Army. Civil engineer Dwight Dana Book bought the property in 1904 and raised this red brick commercial block in 1906, leasing offices to attorneys, realtors, architects, and physicians. A basement club called the "Night Spot" gave the building a livelier side after hours.
Why it matters
The building traces San Antonio's shift from a frontier military outpost to a bustling commercial downtown in the early 20th century.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Spanish Governor's Palace0.2 mi away
- Buckhorn Saloon and Museum0.2 mi away
- Artpace0.2 mi away · 445 North Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX
- Visitor's Center Museum0.3 mi away
- Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks0.3 mi away
- Alamo Vistor Center and Museum (coming 2027)0.3 mi away
Attractions
- River boat boarding0.2 mi away
- Casa Navarro State Historical Site0.4 mi away
- River boat boarding0.4 mi away
- La Villita0.4 mi away
- Sea Life Aquarium0.4 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- River boat boarding0.5 mi away
Food & drink
- Texas de Brazil0.2 mi away · 313 East Houston Street, San Antonio
- Landry's Seafood House0.2 mi away · 517 North Presa Street, San Antonio, TX
- Paesanos Riverwalk0.2 mi away · 111 Crockett Way, San Antonio, TX
- The Local Bar0.3 mi away
- Playland Pizza0.3 mi away
- Voodoo Donut0.3 mi away
Places to stay
- Holiday Inn Riverwalknearby · 217 North Saint Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX
- Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio0.1 mi away · 205 East Houston Street, San Antonio, TX
- Omni La Mansión del Rio0.2 mi away · 112 College Street, San Antonio
- Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Downtown - Riverwalk, TX0.2 mi away · 603 Navarro Street, San Antonio, TX
- Mokara Hotel and Spa0.2 mi away · 212 West Crockett Street, San Antonio, TX
- The St. Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Antonio0.2 mi away · 300 E Travis St, San Antonio, TX
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Dwight Dana Book
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Site of de la Garza House, Gardens and Mint
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Built in 1734 for prominent Bexar citizens Geronimo and Javiera Cantu de la Garza, this block-long Spanish colonial compound had limestone walls three feet thick and lush gardens. Generations later, José Antonio de la Garza used its vault to safeguard merchants' valuables and, granted royal permission in 1818, minted the small coins called 'jolas'—making the home likely the first mint in Texas. During the 1835 Siege of Bexar, Ben Milam's troops battled two days to seize the fortress-like compound as their headquarters, and Milam died taking the city.
T. C. Frost Wool Warehouse
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A former Texas Ranger and Confederate soldier, Thomas C. Frost turned to the wool commission trade in San Antonio in the 1870s, buying wool from producers statewide and storing it in warehouses on this site until prices rose. By letting growers avoid selling into a low market, his storage business helped build up the Texas wool industry. Frost gradually began acting as a banker for his customers and ultimately founded the Frost National Bank.
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T. C. Frost and the Frost Bank
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Thomas Claiborne Frost came to Texas in 1855 as a teacher, then became a lawyer, Texas Ranger, and Confederate officer before settling into commerce in San Antonio. His mercantile and wool business on this site grew into something more when customers began trusting him to hold their money in his sturdy safe—an informal service that he gradually built into the Frost National Bank, chartered in 1899. In 1922 the bank raised a twelve-story tower here, a landmark of the city's business district until the bank moved on in 1973.