Stewart Building

Julius Kauffman (1856-1935) and Julius Runge (1851-1906), second generation owners of a commission firm established in 1842, had architect Eugene T. Heiner design this renaissance revival building in the north Italian mode. Contractor Robert Palisser completed the structure in 1882. Then known as the world's foremost cotton exporters and the initiators of coffee imports from Brazil, Kauffman-Runge also brought significant numbers of settlers to Texas. They housed commodities on the building's ground floor, and had offices above. Many highly-respected Galveston firms had business quarters here. In 1905 the property was bought by Maco Stewart (1871-1938), who redesigned the interior to create a gallery effect with an arched skylight on the top floor. A foresighted, dynamic lawyer, Maco Stewart in 1908 founded Stewart Title Guaranty Company, now (1978) the largest title firm in Texas. Throughout expansion across the United States, it continuously had offices in this structure of its origin. Stewart Title Company has restored the building, replacing the ornate cornice which had been missing since the famous 1900 Galveston storm.

Stewart Building is a historical marker in Galveston, Galveston County, dedicated in 1978. It is one of 283 historical markers documented in Galveston County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 373 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3068, -94.7929 near Galveston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Heidenheimer-Hunter Building (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Trueheart-Adriance Building, First Hutchings-Sealy National Bank, and Juneteenth.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5167011568. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.