Waddell's House Furnishing Co. At 810 Sampson St.

[Michelle C]

This place has been dead for the past week or ten days so I thought I would liven things up a bit with a picture I have had in my archives for a couple of years. The location has been a mystery to me for a long time. Only a couple of days ago did I finally figure out the correct locating. It is always such a good feeling when it finally comes to you. OK sleuths get going. When we get a location I will tell you how I finally decided where the picture was made.

[kylejack]

1100 block of Prairie. 1938 fire at Christ Church Cathedral. Took me about ten minutes to figure it out.
 

Good one!

[Michelle C]

I have to admit, your fast, but it was not at the Christ Church Cathedral. It is indeed in the 1100 block of Prairie. According to the 1937-1938 city directory 1102-12 was Waddell's House furnishing Co. 1114 was vacant, 1116 was Texas Buffet, 1116 1/2 was Hamilton Bros. Shirt makers as the upper sign would indicate and Southern Engraving Co. as the lower sign above the Texas Buffet would indicate, 1120 was Union Building and Loan. I didn't see a church listed on either side of the 1100 block of Prairie. What had finally tipped me off to the location was the white building in the next block with the windows open. I thought I had seen that building before and when I got to checking sure enough there it was, I then worked my way back through the street guide of the 37-38 City Directory and found the location. I had long ago checked the 37-38 alphabetical listing for the Texas Buffet but it was not listed there. I could also see the RT MAKERS sign on the second floor but had no idea what the first part of the sign said, the same for the VING CO sign at the top of the first floor. Perhaps the Church was a later tenant that came along after the home furnishing co and was not listed in the 37-38 directory. Regardless, you were right on target with the location. I will post some more mystery locations soon. Some I will know the location and others I will not know.

[gmac]

And a nice spread in this publication: http://houstonfirememorial.org/HFD-Pictorial%20Hist%201895-1980/3-HFD-Book-Proof-Copy-Chapter-3-new.pdf

[kylejack]

I have to admit, your fast, but it was not at the Christ Church Cathedral. It is indeed in the 1100 block of Prairie. According to the 1937-1938 city directory 1102-12 was Waddell's House furnishing Co. 1114 was vacant, 1116 was Texas Buffet, 1116 1/2 was Hamilton Bros. Shirt makers as the upper sign would indicate and Southern Engraving Co. as the lower sign above the Texas Buffet would indicate, 1120 was Union Building and Loan. I didn't see a church listed on either side of the 1100 block of Prairie. What had finally tipped me off to the location was the white building in the next block with the windows open. I thought I had seen that building before and when I got to checking sure enough there it was, I then worked my way back through the street guide of the 37-38 City Directory and found the location. I had long ago checked the 37-38 alphabetical listing for the Texas Buffet but it was not listed there. I could also see the RT MAKERS sign on the second floor but had no idea what the first part of the sign said, the same for the VING CO sign at the top of the first floor. Perhaps the Church was a later tenant that came along after the home furnishing co and was not listed in the 37-38 directory. Regardless, you were right on target with the location. I will post some more mystery locations soon. Some I will know the location and others I will not know.

 

That's the back of the Church, which faces and has an address on Texas, even still today. Or maybe they bought the extra land after the fire? They were damaged heavily in this same fire, though.

[Michelle C]

I see, the church was on Texas street, that makes sense to me. Looks like the whole block suffered substantial damage. As I said above you were right on top of this one.

[Michelle C]

And a nice spread in this publication: http://houstonfirememorial.org/HFD-Pictorial%20Hist%201895-1980/3-HFD-Book-Proof-Copy-Chapter-3-new.pdf

 

Thanks for the link. That was very informative.

[Subdude]

Here's a picture of Waddell Furniture pre-fire:

[Michelle C]

Here's a picture of Waddell Furniture pre-fire:

 

 

Beautiful building, its a shame that it had to be lost to a fire. A Texaco service station later appeared on the corner. 

 

[Subdude]

Waddell's elected not to rebuild at the same location, and most of the lot was used for parking until Christ Church bought it for expansion.  There were a number of furniture retailers on Fannin:  Waddell, Haverty's and Stower's come to mind.

[Michelle C]

The reason I was saying a Texaco service station was there later was because of this picture. From looking at the picture I would guess that the Allright auto park also sold Texaco petroleum products. By the way the building across Fannin street gave me the tip as to where the original picture I posted at the top of this thread was made. I had been beating my brains out trying to figure out where the picture was made when all of a sudden I noticed the building on Fannin. I know I had seen it somewhere and started digging around and found this picture and then I starting looking through the 1937-38 city directory in the 1100 blk of Prairie.

 

 

 

[Sunstar]

Is this the location of the current Christ Church Montessori school?

[ArchMemoH]

Michelle C, you left out the year 36, what's on 1113, 1139, 1141, 1145

[DMac]

On 12/1/2015 at 0:50 PM, gmac said:

And a nice spread in this publication: http://houstonfirememorial.org/HFD-Pictorial%20Hist%201895-1980/3-HFD-Book-Proof-Copy-Chapter-3-new.pdf

 

 

Man what a great photo of new City Hall, Colosieum (Conv. Cntr.),  Sta 2 w/4 bays & 8 Flr. County Courthouse & Jail Bldg's. w/400 yo Oak Tree N front yard.

 

[(Otto Mation)]

Patrick Feller has added a photo to the pool:

810 Sampson

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