Houston Old and New

[totheskies]

This is my first photo thread in a long while, and the first one I've done completely with the iPhone.  It's a collection of some shots I've been taking over the past few months, and features some recent restorations around Houston, as well as some of the new construction. 

 

 

The Londale is Houston's longest-operating hostelry, even if the clientele has been "less than desirable" over the years.  It's been in continuous operation as a hotel or boarding house since 1904.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of Houston's current obsessions... the Blue Trees in Spotts Park

 

 

 

 

 

the interior chapel of the Villa de Matel

 

 

Houston's original airport... this Art Deco Terminal was was completed in 1940, and today is being renovated into a museum.  It's right next to Hobby International Airport

 

This 90-yr old structure was once on the chopping block, but is now going through a full historical restoration.  It's soon to be Houston's "newest" downtown hotel. 

 

The brand new Asia Society Texas Center-- opened in 2012. 

 

The Houston Light Guard Armory... now home to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, and undergoing phase two of a massive restoration plan. 

 

The Julia Ideson Library

 

Interior of the Ideson Library... recent restoration. 

 

The Harris County Courthouse was built in 1910... a great Beaux Arts structure that's just completed a fantastic restoration. 

 

Interior of the Harris County Courthouse

 

Harris County Courthouse

 

This courthouse will soon have its own museum.  Here's a great old pictures from the courtroom. 

 

Houston skyline, circa 1920

 

 

The interior dome of the courthouse was also fully restored.  They really should charge people to come and look at this great work.

 

Here's the "old" view of the Houston skyline... the one that's plastered in all of our books.  But with the city's changing image, It's time that we adopt a "new" view...

 

 

Thanks for viewing.

[Specwriter]

This is my first photo thread in a long while, and the first one I've done completely with the iPhone.  It's a collection of some shots I've been taking over the past few months, and features some recent restorations around Houston, as well as some of the new construction. 

 

 

Thanks for viewing.

Great shots. Thanks for posting them. The building in the third image from the top (also shown here) is the Westheimer Building at the northwest corner of the intersection of Prairie and Caroline. Its pedestrian appearance does not announce some interesting facts about the building. Built in 1917 it once housed a mortuary. There is a marble slab in the basement that was not used for making ice cream! It was used during embalming procedures.

 

I'm glad the image was taken at a high enough vantage point to show the two interesting shapes on the roof. Those are light monitors. The top floor once housed a cotton factoring operation. The glass side of the monitors point due north as regulations required. Their non-orthogonal placement on the building points up the fact that the downtown grid does not run true north-south, east-west since it follows a bend in the bayou.

 

As of 2008 the original 1917 boiler was still functioning in the basement. At that time the man responsible for keeping it operational had been at that task for over 30 years.

[august948]

What was the function of the light monitors and why were they required to face north?

[sevfiv]

Nice! I recently put up a page about the Westheimer Building - it was built in 1913 and indeed a mortuary: ttp://arch-ive.org/archive/westheimer-building/

 

[Specwriter]

The monitors were required to face north because cotton was "graded" there and the light coming into the space had to be consistent and diffuse (minimum of shadows). Sevfiv's article (thanks for that, by the way) suggests that the 4th floor was an open space since it was also used as a union hall or gathering place for benevolent organizations.

 

I cannot say exactly when cotton factoring took place there but evidently it was before adequate artificial lighting was available. Being a native Houstonian I wish I knew more about the history of the cotton industry in this region.

 

Sevfiv, thanks also for getting me correct on the building's construction date. I cannot remember if I was told "1917" in error or was told the correct date and "mis-remembered" it. After more than a half-century on this planet I do mis-remember once in a while.

[sevfiv]

Hey, I only know from the Sanborn map (and hopefully they're more trustworthy than HCAD)

[Specwriter]

Hey, I only know from the Sanborn map (and hopefully they're more trustworthy than HCAD)

 

Suffice it to say the Westheimer building is approaching its 100th birthday and has an interesting history. I hope it remains standing and usefully occupied for years to come. A bit of refurbishing wouldn't hurt though.

 

It seems right now there are some bail bond places at least on the first floor.