Borden’s Creamery
Post Oak Preservation Solutions served as the preservation consultant for the rehabilitation of the historic Borden’s Creamery, a two-story reinforced concrete Moderne industrial building constructed in 1933 for Mistletoe Creamery and acquired by Borden’s prior to its completion. The notable San Antonio firm of Atlee B. and Robert M. Ayres designed the original building as well as all historic additions through 1963, creating a cohesive complex that reflects the city’s growing mid-century dairy industry. The plant continued to expand over the decades, with later alterations including several historic additions and two non-historic additions built in the 1990s. The building features signature architectural details such as fluted spandrels, multi-light steel windows, vertical pilasters, reeded banding at the parapet, and a central tower crowned with a metal and glass light beacon. As the only surviving historic resource in San Antonio associated with the 20th-century dairy industry, it holds both industrial and architectural significance and stands as a rare example of Moderne industrial design in the city.
Post Oak prepared the National Register nomination and secured federal historic tax credits for the project, guiding the development team and architect through a complex rehabilitation process that met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Selective demolition in 2020 removed the non-historic additions and some infill, revealing historic exterior details that had been obscured for decades. The rehabilitation retains the building’s massing, ornament, tower, and restored windows, while the interior preserves terrazzo floors, the main lobby, and second-floor offices. The remaining space has been reconfigured into open office suites with a small café and bar, with modern MEP and egress upgrades integrated without compromising historic fabric. By aligning preservation requirements with the client’s programmatic needs, Post Oak helped protect the building’s character-defining features while supporting a sensitive, functional reuse.
