M. & J. Nelson Building
McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This noteworthy Moderne style commercial building remains a distinctive McAllen attraction. Morris Randall Nelson built and owned the building, designed in 1949 for the use of the J.C. Penney Company. Nelson, born in McPherson, Kansas, followed his father's profession as a carpenter before becoming a builder, property developer and entrepreneur. Morris moved to Palacios, where he met and married Ruth Stainbrook; the two arrived in McAllen in 1914, three years after the city incorporated. The couple had two children: Jack R. and another son who died in childbirth. M.R. Nelson built commercial, public and residential buildings throughout McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley, often working with local architect Zeb Rike. The Nelsons, active in First United Methodist Church, were also civic leaders and supporters of local organizations and charities. The 30,000 square foot, three-story reinforced concrete M. & J. Nelson Building features a streamlined Art Moderne exterior finished in horizontal bands of two-tone buff brick with a darker cast stone trim. Recessed entry doors and interior stair rails are aluminum. The building includes a basement, but plans for additional floors did not materialize. The building included the first 13-passenger elevator in McAllen, as well as one of the earliest air conditioning systems in the city. The top story included professional and government offices, including Jack R. Nelson Insurance. The progressive building was an architectural and commercial anchor in McAllen's postwar business district and continued to serve as a downtown landmark as the city experienced dynamic growth. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2007
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1949 by developer M.R. Nelson for the J.C. Penney Company, this three-story reinforced-concrete building brought sleek Art Moderne styling to postwar McAllen—two-tone buff brick in horizontal bands, aluminum entry doors, and cast-stone trim. Inside were the city's first 13-passenger elevator and one of its earliest air-conditioning systems. As the Rio Grande Valley boomed after the war, the Nelson Building stood as a commercial and architectural anchor downtown.
Why it matters
It embodies the optimistic postwar commercial expansion of the Rio Grande Valley and the streamlined modern design that announced a small Texas city's arrival.
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Related people
- · Morris Randall Nelson
- · Zeb Rike
Themes & tags
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