Eikel-Prewitt Building - Taylor Downtown Historic District - Taylor, TX - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Albert Eikel, born in New Braunfels in 1852, was a descendant of German settlers who came from Germany with Count Solms-Braunfels in 1845. Eikel moved to Taylor in 1886 and founded a hardware store. In the mid-1880s, Taylor had at least five hardware stores. In 1888, in partnership with his two brothers Paul and Fred, Albert Eikel purchased the lot for his building and commissioned local architect Henry Struve to design a new building for his hardware company.

In 1900, Eikel purchased the entire lot which included a tin shop, two barns and ten small buildings in 1898. By the time of his bankruptcy sale to Ira Prewitt in 1923 there was a two-story storage building behind the hardware store with about the same amount of floor space as the store.

Eikel retired in 1907, and returned to New Braunfels. He left the company to his twin sons Max and Paul, who were educated at ST. Edwards and studied accounting at New York State. Both had married daughters of prominent land holders in Taylor. The brothers brought the Studebaker Automobile Agency to Taylor, a logical step since the hardware store had sold the Conestoga wagon.

Ira Prewitt came to Taylor in 1888, and went into the harness and buggy business with G.B. Randle. Prewitt left for a while to go to Rockdale, but returned and worked for Taylor Hardware Company. In 1890 he and James Blane bought Wilkenson and Peyton Company. Six years later this company purchased Taylor Hardware Company on Main Street. In 1900, Prewitt bought out Blane, and in 1918 he bought Hoch Hardware Company. Ira Prewitt Hardware company incorporated in 1918, and bought estate of Albert Eikel in 1923. Ira died in 1929, but his large business stayed in the family until 1981. The last Prewitt to operate the family business was Ira's grandson Louis Bond Prewitt. Prewitt Hardware was responsible for outfitting many post-World War II migrant farm workers with hoes and cotton sacks.

Prewitt Hardware closed in 1981, and the building stood vacant until 1983 when Louis Bond Prewitt sold it to John Selman. Danze and Davis were hired to prepare plans for restoration of building, which was undertaken in 1984. Original facade was restored to its natural color, as it had been painted white for over forty years. Pediment writing restored, says Eikel Bros.