One of the treasures of the Early 20th Century Commercial style of architecture will be the subject of an auction beginning on February 28. Located at 300 E. San Antonio Avenue, the seven-story Caples Building was originally constructed in 1909, with two floors added some 6 years later. During the first decade of the last century, the building played a historic role, with its upper floors serving as an office for future Mexican President Francisco Madero and visited by the famous revolutionary and military leader Francisco “Pancho” Villa. Measuring just under 56,000 square feet, the structure has been lauded by preservationists for being the first reinforced concrete structure built in El Paso. Put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the Caples Building is known for its brown brick exterior and Romanesque style windows. Named after businessman and former El Paso Mayor Richard Caples, the building was a vibrant hub of activity for decades with occupied offices on the upper floors and retail space on the ground level. In recent decades the building has been mostly vacant and suffering from neglect. Because of its condition, it has also been placed on the most endangered properties list by the group Preservation Texas. Currently listed with the real estate firm of KW Commercial of El Paso, the starting auction bid for the Caples Building is set at $700,000. By Garry Boulard
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