Historic San Angelo Surfaces in Two Downtown Buildings

Two expansive buildings set near the city’s red brick road are currently under construction downtown, relics of San Angelo’s past being brought back to life in a concerted rehabilitative effort.

David Mazur and John Fuentes have partnered in the project, putting special effort into maintaining the historical integrity of the interior as they give the spaces a makeover.

“We’re just rehabilitating these old buildings,” Fuentes said, looking to artist Valerie Hague, the first tenant of the building at 4^th and N. Chadbourne.

[[{"fid":"15013","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Val Hague, a Central swim coach and artist, has set up shop in a newly-renovated building on N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"Val Hague, a Central swim coach and artist, has set up shop in a newly-renovated building on N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"960","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Hague, a Central swim coach and art instructor, has recently moved her vibrant studio into a newly-remodeled and segregated section at the corner building’s backside, where she paints vibrant depictions of livestock under the room’s new skylights.

“There’s a lot of great buildings downtown. It’s sad to just see them sitting and going to seed,” Hague said, then looked around the space. “It’s really great. All it needs is a shower. I’d probably never leave.”

Hague’s artwork is reflective of her life; growing up on ranches and working with horses, Hague has a love for livestock that she transposes onto canvases of all sizes.

“I had a crow named Jose,” she said. “I had everything. I had a lot of owls, snakes; I love reptiles.”

Hague, a longtime friend of Fuentes and Mazur, was approached by them about the space when they learned she needed a room for her art studio. Mazur and Fuentes have been working on renovating both buildings for the past three years, sold on the idea after the former owner called them up ready to sell.

“David’s (Mazur) done all my construction work, so when this came open, the only way I would tackle this project was if David was one of my partners because I knew he was going to get it done,” Fuentes said.

[[{"fid":"15014","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"John Fuentes holds up an old photograph of J&J Electric, the former occupier of a building he's renovating on N. Chadbourne St. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"John Fuentes holds up an old photograph of J&J Electric, the former occupier of a building he's renovating on N. Chadbourne St. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"960","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Old photographs, hardwood floors and tin-tiled ceilings were uncovered during the restoration process, pieces of San Angelo’s history Mazur and Fuentes are eager to rehabilitate.

“We’ve got the old tin ceilings in our buildings,” Fuentes said, referencing his downtown restaurant and the space next door. “My buildings used to look like this: They had old wooden floors [that were] uneven.”

[[{"fid":"15017","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Old tin ceiling tiles and new, plastic replacements will complete the historic feel of two downtown buildings. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"Old tin ceiling tiles and new, plastic replacements will complete the historic feel of two downtown buildings. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"960","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]The building at 4^th and N. Chadbourne is cut back where the walls meet at the corner, forming an entryway right at the intersection set back a few feet from the pavement. Inside, an expansive room opens up in a large rectangle, severed from a smaller back room by a wall with a large archway open for access. A small staircase climbs up from this smaller back room, which Fuentes and Mazur intend to widen and wall off for private access to a bright and window-lit apartment upstairs.

“It was J&J Electric,” Fuentes said. “They used to rework motors.”

Hague’s studio was also once a part of the original store, extending under the stairs through a door that has since been walled off. The building, Fuentes said, was likely built in the early 1900s, and J&J Electric occupied it in the ‘30s, estimated.

“We can’t find any history on it [after the store closed],” he said.

[[{"fid":"15015","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"A large room with many windows will soon be a private loft for rent on N. Chadbourne St. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"A large room with many windows will soon be a private loft for rent on N. Chadbourne St. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"960","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Upstairs, the scars of a fire are visible, likely started via the building’s old heating system that piped air up through salad-plate-sized vents in the apartment’s walls. Parts of damaged ceiling have already been replaced and plans are in place to set in new windows and add a kitchen and bathroom for a private studio.

“It’s got a great view at night,” Fuentes said. “You can see all the cars going by at night. We’ve got the Performing Arts Center that’s being built right across the street, so hopefully we can rent this out soon.”

Downstairs and next door to the corner building, at 318 N. Chadbourne, another large room with old tin ceilings and molding is currently the work in progress. Fuentes and Mazur have been working to replace sections of flooring in the same style as the original and have found replacement ceiling tiles with the exact same patterns for patchwork where pieces have been damaged.

“We’ve done all the electrical for all four buildings,” Fuentes said, including the upstairs apartment in his count. “All the utilities have been done up to the building—water, sewer, gas—all four buildings have their own meters.”

[[{"fid":"15016","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Old tin ceiling tiles and hardwood floors define the interior of the building at 318 N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"Old tin ceiling tiles and hardwood floors define the interior of the building at 318 N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"960","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Skylights have been added in the large room in the center building and in its back office to bring light in, and old features, such as a heavy fire door, will be kept in place to maintain the feel of historic downtown.

“Back in the day, it used to have a copper wire, and it would go [down] and it would have a weight on the bottom,” Fuentes explained the door’s function. “The door would always be opened. If you had a fire and that wire heated up, it would span [under] that weight and the door would automatically close to protect the rest of the buildings.”

[[{"fid":"15018","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"An old fire door is being restored at 318 N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","title":"An old fire door is being restored at 318 N. Chadbourne. (LIVE! Photo/Chelsea Reinhard)","height":"1130","width":"848","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Fuentes said the two buildings would be well suited for retail, as neither has a sprinkler system, which would be required for a bar or restaurant. Since both he and Mazur both work full time, progress has been slow, but they hope to finish the building next to the Teacher Store soon and be able to move on to complete the others.