The Oldest Building In El Paso Now Houses A Very Strange Business

El Paso's oldest, commercial business building was almost lost back in 2012.

The Montgomery Building at 216 S. El Paso Street also occupies the 218 S. El Paso Street address and is not only El Paso's oldest building, it's also the last "false front" building standing in El Paso.

The building was built between 1881 and 1882 and, at first, housed a drug store and a book store. The infamous "Four Dead In Five" gunfight had just occurred a few months prior to construction starting on the Montgomery Building.

It was built as El Paso began to grow into a major city and construction practices began to abandon adobe structures in favor of brick, wood and other materials. The Historical Marker Database described it this way:

The simple box-shaped building is noted by a decorative wood cornice that can still be seen above the remodeled storefront. There was a wood sidewalk covered by a shed roof and a hitching post for horses. (hmdb.org)

Despite all the changes in the area, the city and the countries of both the United States of America and Mexico, it has stood up fairly well. As opposed to others like these.

Although the building was almost lost in 2012 when the nearby 1st National Bank building caught fire. It was pretty much destroyed but, fortunately, EPFD was able to save the neighboring buildings, including this one.

It is now home to one of El Paso's most unique businesses - Daves, A Pawn Shop. Here you can find, or pawn I guess, some of the weirdest stuff in El Paso.

Items on display include shrunken heads, really creepy dolls and statues along with Pancho Villa's finger.