Nelson Building was designed by Frank Van Trees for Col. J. D. Grant and built in 1897.

The building, which housed both retail and offices, was equipped with elevators and electric services when it opened, making it very modern for its time.

[2] Nelson Building originally featured a Spanish design and was made of brick and plaster with a red-tile roof.

[1][4] When the building was expanded to seven stories, a terra cotta facade and a mass of ornamentation were also added.

Subsequent alterations have removed the ornament, which was replaced by a plastered surface with a rounded corner.