By: JillianbrBecquet Photo Credit: Courtesy of Corpus Christi Public Libraries
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Now known as La Retama Park, the area in the trianglebrbetween Schatzell and Peoples streets at Mesquite, served as a gathering centerbrfor downtown Corpus Christi for over a century.
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Built in 1871, Market Hall was Corpus Christi’s first publicbrbuilding. On the first floor, vendors rented stalls and sold basic wares, includingbrmeat and vegetables, to the citizens of Corpus Christi. Dances and other communitybrsocial events were held in a large hall.
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A belfry, housing the bell used to alert Corpus Christi’sbrall-volunteer firemen, stood on the west end of Market Hall. Today, a historicalbrmarker recognizes this site as the original home of the Corpus Christi FirebrDepartment. The bell, donated to the war effort during WWII, sailed aboard thebrUSS Houston as the ship’s bell. It is now on display at the Corpus ChristibrMuseum.
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Market Hall stood until 1911, when a new brick city hall wasbrbuilt on the site. Builders repurposed the wood from Market Hall for a house onbrthe bluff. This continued the role of the location as a civic center for thebrcitizens. Today, when you browse the vendors at La Retama park during Artwalk,brknow you’re doing just what this land was always meant for—supporting localbrpeople.
