Esperson Buildings in Houston

• Construction start: 1927
• Construction finish: 1941
• Designed by: John Eberson
• Type: Skyscraper
• Maximum Height: 410 feet / 125 meters

> December, 2004 - The Houston Chronicle reports that the Esperson Buildings have been sold for $48,000,000.00.

>The ghost of Mellie Esperson is said to roam the "Mellie" building. The elevator malfunctions and employees say they feel "watched."

• Battelstein's Building
• 806 Main
• 919 Milam
• JPMorgan Chase Bank Building
• Great Jones Building
• Two Shell Plaza
• JPMorganChase Park
• JPMorgan Chase Mural
• McKinney Place
• Saint Germain Lofts

There are 16 comments.

  I used to work at the Mellie Esperson building and it always freaked me out. Every morning when I would enter the building, the elevator that I needed to take would arrive right before I would push the button. No one would ever be in the elevator. Sometimes the elevator would stop between floors. I hated taking the elevator but the stairs were much creepier. When I would work late nights by myself, I would sometimes hear footsteps coming down the hall, but I was the only person on that floor. I love the building but it definately creeped me out.

Samantha - Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 @ 8:58pm  

  I had the honor of working for the firm that owned these magnificent.bldgs. I loved the 25 yrs there!

NJacobson - Friday, December 21st, 2007 @ 8:41pm  

  This is the most incredible building! I love it so much that I have a picture of it in my home. My boyfirend was a helicopter pilot and he took me on my first ride to see the Esperson building 18 years ago. I have had one opportunity to go up inside the cupola. It has door knobs that have Neils crest on them. I think it is better than the Empire State Building.

Ann - Friday, November 2nd, 2007 @ 3:55pm  

  I was born and raised in Houston, and I so clearly remember that building in our skyline. It has always been my favorite building in downtown. I consider myself truly fortunate, now, to work in a building that has a view of the Mellie Esperson building. I can just look over and see her whenever I please.

Debbie - Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 @ 11:40pm  

  My grandfather was the caretaker of this building when my mother was a child. I suppose this had to be around 1932 or earlier. I have a pin he was awarded by the building owners, I suppose. I want to go a tour this building if possible.

L, C, P. - Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 @ 6:38pm  

  I love this building. I used to work in the Mellie Esperson part for a large bank. Whenever I could I would explore these buildings. This was in the early 1990's and there was a fair amount of vacant space with empty offices with names on the doors for people who had since died. The dome and offices at the top of the Neils part were empty at the time and it was a great place to explore. I'm not too much of a believer in ghosts or spirits of the dead, but if they do exist in Houston, they are in the Neils Esperson Building, no question about it. Spooky and wonderful, this may be my favorite Houston building. A real treasure. In a city where almost everything old or historic has been torn down, we are lucky to still have this great place intact.

Mike Perkins - Thursday, February 15th, 2007 @ 7:02pm  

  My father, Charles A. Zachry, worked as an elevator mechanic for the Esperson Buildings in the 50's & 60's. His "office" was located in a room on the 18th floor of the Niels Esperson Bldg. behind a bank of elevators. He would take me to work with him on the day of the Houston Fatstock Show & Rodeo Parade when I was just a child. I looked forward to visiting my Dad at work. He once took me up to the top of the building where no one else could go. My Father died of a heart attack in 1967 while he was at work in the Esperson Bldg. I have recurring dreams about being back in the buildings. I have wanted to return to the room on the 18th floor where my father worked but never have. I hope to go back for a visit in the near future. Perhaps his spirit is also there roaming the building. Carol

Carol Lynne Zachry Phillips - Tuesday, August 29th, 2006 @ 11:35am  

  As a child, I thought the top of the bldg. looked like a wedding cake topper. I am a native Houstonian.

Patricia Mann - Thursday, June 22nd, 2006 @ 11:06pm  

  The Esperson is still the "crown jewel" of our great State. Anyone with an appreciation for art, history or architecture should visit this beautiful building.

Diane Rose - Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 @ 4:59pm  

  I worked in the tunnel system under the Mellie Esperson Annex for a major healthcare organization. We had many problems in our suite that were for the most part unexplained. When I started working fulltime in the tunnel office, I often had to work alone and I ALWAYS felt that someone was in the office with me (the office was quite cavernous)when I knew I was ALONE and the side door locked. When they started doing some major renovations to the street level above the office, I started "feeling" that someone was in the office and things would be moved, doors locked, the microwave in the kitchen changed. It got so bad that I forced the building management to come down and check, changed the side door lock, locked all the doors leading to the side door exit but it STILL occurred. I was quite the LAUGHINGSTOCK among my coworkers because of this. While I worked there I never knew that Mellie Esperson supposedly haunted. It was 2yrs later that I found out that Mellie Esperson supposedly haunted the elevators and annex when I was looking up hauntings because of a movie that was out at the time. I guess Mellie must have liked me because she never stopped the elevator on me and she must have known I had an aversion to small enclosed spaces. I think she was just lonely and felt my loneliness at being stuck in an office alone for 8hrs a day and wanted to make contact with someone. When I found the website and story I sent it to my Director and felt justified that indeed SOMEONE was there all that time.

E.J. Singer - Saturday, May 14th, 2005 @ 12:14am