Olvera Building (Market Square)

Local preservationist, Larry Lof, has been hard at work restoring the Olvera Shoe Repair building in the heart of market square. Architectural enthusiasts in Brownsville had been hoping for a restoration of the building ever since a fire damaged the structure almost two decades ago. Jose Fernandez, a wealthy Spanish merchant, constructed the building in Market Square in 1882. With its elegant balconies overlooking both Washington Street and Market Square, the building resembles those found in New Orleans. "The nice thing about 19th-century buildings is that craftsmen built them, it is also possible for modern craftsmen to restore them," Lof said. Ricardo Carlos, of Rival Builders, has assisted Lof throughout the yearlong project, serving as the general contractor. Photos courtesy of Eddie Sanchez.