Brownsville, Cameron County
An example of nineteenth-century border brick architecture, the Tamayo Building served as a residential and commercial compound. Casimiro Tamayo (1837-1910) acquired the property between 1877 and 1879 from his sister-in-law, María del Carmen Levrier, widow of French immigrant Louis Renaud. Tamayo was a merchant and stockraiser who held elected office as Cameron County’s Inspector of hides and animals in the 1890s. For decades, the building served as a dwelling and grocery store. It is constructed of locally made mesquite-fired brick. The openings on the east elevation are spanned by flat structural arches of gauged brick with French doors, a unique blending of architectural elements and practices. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2020