R.C. Scripture Building - Denton County Courthouse Square Historic District - Denton, TX
N 33° 12.926 W 097° 08.040
14S E 673901 N 3676722
Built in 1882, the R.C. Scripture Building is located at 123 N Elm St, Denton, TX. It is a contributing building to the Denton County Courthouse Square Historic District.
Waymark Code: WMQQT7
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/20/2016
Views: 11
According to the Denton
Wiki, which is a bit dated:
R.C. Scripture built this structure in 1882 as a general store. It has also served as a grocery store, an ice cream shop and an auto parts store. The second floor has housed the Grand Orient Lodge, a domino parlor and the Carpenter's Union. While their church was being built, the Episcopalians met here from 1917 to 1920. Completely restored after a fire in 1976, the building now houses loft apartments and the law offices of Randall S. Boyd.
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In 2016, Dix Coney Island has a home here, and they're awaiting a tenant on the second floor.
The NRHP Nomination File is available at the optional link, and the Scripture Building is mentioned several times. The building is only one of a few in the district that retains its original façade, and while itself built after a fire hit the west side of the town square, it also is a brave survivor of later fires. It originally was home to a dry goods store operated by Robert C. Scripture, but it went through the hands of several family members during the 1890s when times were difficult. Mrs. Scripture reacquired the building in 1904, and the building was home to several other stores through the years, including J.F. Bell's Grocery, Sullivan Brothers Market, and the Olympia Confectionery (1918-1927). At various times, the second floor housed the offices of the Grand Orient Lodge, a domino parlor (during the Depression), and the Carpenter's Union. In 1936, the building housed Edwards Auto Parts, and by the 1940s it became the Western Auto Store. Fire damaged the building in 1976, but it was restored in 1978-1979 by new ownership.