2nd Street West - 400 block

Exterior view of the J.P. Schneider and Bros. building. In front of the building are a group of men, a horse and cart, a man on a donkey, and a hay cart. Jacob Schneider’s family moved to Austin from New Braunfels when he was a young child, but his parents had emigrated from Germany. In 1865, he opened his first general store. The Schneider Store was a popular destination that drew shoppers from as far away as New Braunfels to purchase goods. At the time, there was no bridge across the Colorado River, so people would ford the river in wagons at the point where Nueces Street is located today. Schneider had a wagon yard that accommodated 50 wagons and included two camp houses. The store became a popular spot for family gatherings and community meetings. The Victorian structure is representative of Austin’s commercial architecture at the time, which was primarily clustered on Sixth Street. The fact that the Schneider Store was away from that commercial hub but still successful, demonstrates its importance to the community at the time. The building is a City of Austin Landmark, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, State Antiquities Landmark, and National Register-listed property.

The origianal Schneider Store exterior with a horse and carriage out front. The building is wooden. The Capitol building is visible in the distance behind the carriage.

Interior view of the Schneider Store at 401 West 2nd Street. Three men and a boy stand in the center of the store and one man stands behind the counter at right. The shelves are full of boxes and cans.