J. P. Schneider Store, Austin, Texas
historic place
The J. P. Schneider Store is a historic place in Austin, Travis County. Jacob Peter Schneider, born in 1852, began working in a general mercantile store in the mid-1860s, after the Civil War. Around 1870, Jacob and his mother, Margarita Schneider, opened their own store across the street. In 1873, as their business grew, Schneider built a two-story brick structure. The basement of this store held meats, wines, whiskeys, and cheeses. The upper floors stocked food and clothing. Schneider also operated a wagon yard nearby, providing two camp houses for travelers. After Jacob Schneider's death in 1925, his son, F. Ralph Schneider, managed the store. In 1933, after Prohibition ended, a saloon was added to the rear of the building. Business operations ceased in 1935. The structure later housed electrical and lumber companies, and an art gallery. It has been damaged by fire twice. The building remains owned by the Schneider family. A historical marker was erected here in 1974 by the Texas Historical Commission. This site illustrates early commercial development in Austin.