|
Home tour countdown: Tour spotlights 5 Alpine homes
What: Chistmas Historic Tour of Homes
When: Dec. 13
Who: Sponsored by Historic Alpine
By Nancy Hendryx . Special to the Avalanche
Historic Alpine will sponsor a “Christmas Historic Tour of Homes” from 1 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 13. There will be five homes on the tour.
Tickets will be $10 each for the entire tour and will be available after Nov. 24 from any board member or the Alpine Convention & Visitors Bureau. This is a great opportunity for people to see and share part of Alpine’s history. The homes included:
The Holland Robinson House at 103 North 11th St.
The Berkley Home at 301 East Avenue E
The McKinley-Becktel Home at 609 Lockhart
The Old Alpine Furniture Store on Murphy Street now known as Murphy St. Raspa Co.
The Kennemere home at 604 East Gallego.
Today and in subsequent editions, we’ll feature the five houses.
Today, the spotlight is on the Murphy St. Raspa Co., which is in one of the oldest buildings in Alpine. Located on 100 West Murphy at the corner of 5th and Murphy, it was a very important part of Murphyville, Alpine’s name in the 1800s. Originally the building housed Alpine Furniture Co., reported to have been operated as early as 1904. Roughly 30 years later, it would become Valadez Grocery, which became the heart of Alpine’s Latino community.
Tomas Valadez was born March 7, 1886, in Ojinaga, Mexico, and came to Brewster County in 1903. He married Juanita Gallego in 1916, and together they had 12 children.
Ophelia Valadez still lives in Alpine, in a home on the corner of 6th and Gallego, which is a recorded historical landmark of Texas.
In the 1930s, Valadez opened Valadez Grocery. It remained in business until his death in the late 1970s. For more than 30 years, the building remained closed, until Ophelia Valadez sold it to Betty Gaddis Yndo in 2007, along with the neighboring two buildings (Talgar’s and Alpine Studio).
In early 2008, San Antonio natives Victor and Cristina Noriega bought the building. They were delighted to discover that the market was largely untouched, housing many original treasures including the butcher block, meat case and scale. So well-preserved were the contents that vintage products still sat on the dusty shelves.
Victor and Cristina eagerly set to work restoring the building downstairs, and adding a bathroom and kitchen upstairs so they could live there. Six months later, Victor waved goodbye to his career in advertising, and the couple moved out to 100 West Murphy St. The Murphy Street Raspa Co. opened on Sept. 20 with a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration.
Specializing in raspas, or shaved ice, the company also serves premium ice cream, baked goods, gourmet coffee and Mexican candies. Additionally, it carries Mexican art, gifts and clothing and rents cruiser-style bicycles.
|
