A fire on Christmas Eve 1906 destroyed four buildings on the west end of the square’s north side. Known as the “First Brick Block,” they were built by Rulfs in 1884. Rebuilding started immediately, with Rulfs using continuous cornices, similar stepped parapets, and repeated window groupings to unify the facades but still keep some individual identities.
Facing the northeast corner (215 E. Main) of the public square is one of the most historic sites in Nacogdoches. Antonio Gil Y’Barbo built his Stone Fort (see LC46) here in 1779. It was demolished in 1902 to make way for the Perkins Brothers Building (M. R. Sanguinet), which was replaced by the Commercial National Bank (1972).