At the corner of 10th & J Streets
in Downtown Modesto.

Discover Modesto’s past …
Be part of its future.

Charles Murray and W.A. Jones built the buildings on the four corners of 10th and J St. between 1912 and 1915. Aptly named, “The New Center”, it was the place to be in the early 1900’s. More than 100 years later, it’s still the place to be … Downtown Modesto.

The Murray And Jones Building, Est. 1913, sits at the corner of 10th and J St. and is home to Picasso’s Deli, Spotlight Lounge, and Mexihana’s Hibachi Grill.

With 15’ ceilings, the charm of exposed brick from the original construction in 1913 and its rich history, this is sure to be a sought after space on the entrance to Downtown Modesto from 9th St.

10th_and_J_1_master.jpg

From The History Blog

Featured
Meet W.A. Jones. Modesto’s early mover and shaker.
Meet W.A. Jones. Modesto’s early mover and shaker.

Ever walked past an old building and wondered when it was built and who built it? As an owner of the newly named Murray and Jones, Est. 1913 building at 929 J. Street in Downtown Modesto, I was very curious about its history. What I learned was quite amazing.

Ok to set the meter … 1913
Ok to set the meter … 1913

Finding “old things” is like finding an invitation to the past. Recently, I found something in the Murray and Jones Building, Est. 1913 that brought me back to when it was constructed.

Who was in the Murray and Jones building in the ‘20s.
Who was in the Murray and Jones building in the ‘20s.

While many today think a “phone book” is really Google, it wasn’t always that way. If you wanted to call someone in 1913, you picked up the phone book, found their name or business and called them. Check out this phone book from the early days of Modesto.

What 10th & J. St. looked like from 1894 to 1919?
What 10th & J. St. looked like from 1894 to 1919?

The intersection of 10th and J Streets in Modesto has an allure that few other intersections from 1st to 18th possess. In Modesto’s earliest years, two men, Charles Murray and W.A. Jones had a vision to turn the four corners of 10th and J Streets into what they called “The New Center”.

History lives on in Modesto.
History lives on in Modesto.

We forget the past so quickly … yet the past is what helps shape the future. This photo has a past, and it even has names associated with it. Here’s the note I was given by Janet Lancaster of the McHenry Museum when researching the Murray and Jones Building, Est. 1913. The note read …

Get in touch.

We’re at the coveted corner of 10th and J Street in Downtown Modesto

Be part of the mix … in Downtown Modesto.

If you’re looking to move YOUR business to Downtown Modesto, here are some
helpful resources provided by the City of Modesto.