August Staacke came to San Antonio from Germany in 1848 and began a general merchandising store, which also sold carriages and wagons. In 1868, he acquired the land where the “Old Adobe,” or original First Presbyterian Church, had once stood on East Commerce Street. His three sons took over his carriage business, which became known as Staacke Brothers, in 1889. They hired prominent San Antonio architect James Riely Gordon to design their Commerce Street store, which was completed in 1894. The Staacke Building is a three-story, Renaissance Revival building with a stamped metal façade and cornice. Two-story arches with granite Corinthian columns and inset bowed windows on the top floor are outstanding examples of the Renaissance Revival style. Other unique features include a balcony with a classical balustrade, granite Ionic columns, and a Baroque pediment. The San Antonio Conservation Society saved the front 97 feet of the Staacke Building from demolition by purchasing the property in 1979. The Society later sold the building to a group of local investors in January, 1980. Along with the Stevens Building, the Staacke has been restored for adaptive use as retail and office space. More Cessioned Properties