Warning: Your browser appears to have Javascript disabled. In order to use some features of Hill Country Explorer successfully, such as this one, you'll need to enable Javascript.

Lundberg Bakery

Type: Historic Site

Rating: N/A

Cost: N/A

Years In Use: 1876-

Year Destroyed: N/A

Open To The Public: Yes

Historical Marker: Yes

ADA Accessible: N/A

Bikes Allowed: N/A

Dogs Allowed: N/A

Interpretive Guide: N/A

Address: 1006 Congress Avenue

City: Austin

County: Travis

Log Your Visit

Map

Topo maps provided by MyTopo.com (buy now!) Larger Map Order Map

Order a topo map

Charles Lundberg emigrated from Sweden and settled into Austin in 1872, where he found work as a baker's apprentice. He had his own bakery built at 1006 Congress in 1876. It was made of limestone with a brick facade. An eagle, with wings spread, perched atop the gabled roof.

The building has undergone a few changes over the years. It originally consisted of two parts, a front store section and a back warehouse, with a chicken coop in the yard between them. Eventually the two sections were joined together. The store front featured an iron canopy, which covered the sidewalk. At some point this overhang had been removed and replaced with a wrought iron balcony. Renovations later restored the canopy.

The front of the Lundberg Bakery building.

After Lundberg passed away in 1895 the bakery changed hands a few times before hitting a string of bad luck after 1937. Ownership changed frequently and just as frequently the building sat empty. In 1962 the Austin Heritage Society purchased the property and began much needed repairs. A soup and sandwich shop was set up, with a convenient location for tourists visiting the capital building one block north.

Note the newer brick walls which link up the two older, once separate, buildings.

Texas had plans for the block containing the bakery in 1970, when it purchased the land. The state intended to build a new Highway Department headquarters building on the property. A concession to the historic nature of the bakery was the intention of saving the from half of the building and incorporating it into the new, larger structure.

Fortuitously, removal of the other buildings on the block uncovered stone ruins from the State Capital used from 1882-1883. The discovery prompted the state to save the corner north of the bakery as a park and the Highway Department plan was shelved.

Today, the building continues to serve the public as the Old Bakery and Emporium. The shop sells arts and crafts as well as sandwiches, coffee and soft drinks. They are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM and Saturdays in December prior to Christmas from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Sources:
Austin - The Past Still Present

Log Entries

No logs have been entered for this location.

Recommended Item

Austin Then and Now
William Dylan Powell
~~List Price: $22.95~~ Your price: $22.95

Extensively revised, redesigned, Austin Then and Now® puts archive and contemporary photographs of the same landmark side-by-side to showcase the city's pastAustin is known for its impressive streets and period architecture, particularly the imposing State Capitol and the view down Congress Avenue. It offers a blend of outstanding natural attractions including Barton Springs and Town Lake, as well as international venues such as the stunning new Circuit of the Americas, the home of the U.S. Grand Prix. From its beginnings as a sleepy village to its current position as the Texas state capital, Austin has witnessed incredible growth. This captivating chronicle of a fascinating city matches historic images with specially commissioned views of the same scenes as they appear today. Locations include Driskill Hotel, Sixth Street, O. Henry Museum, Pierre Bremond House, Paramount Theatre, Millet Opera House, Texas Capitol, St. Mary's Cathedral, Lundberg Bakery, Old Travis County Courthouse, Governor's Mansion, Old Land Office, Moonlight Towers, Custer House, University of Texas Tower, Pemberton Heights, Texas State Hospital, Barton Springs, and Circuit of the Americas.