14 replies to this topic

[dismuke]

I recently purchased some postcards of the old Hotel Brazos in Houston. I live in Fort Worth and do not make it down to Houston very often. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it still stands. My guess is that it does not as I was unable to find much information about it on the web. If it has been torn down, can anyone tell me when that happened.

Below are some scans of the old postcards.

[Subdude]

The Brazos Hotel was located across from the Southern Pacific railroad station between Washington and Buffalo Bayou. It was considered one of the nicest hotels in the city, not only for the quality of the accomodations, but for the restaurant (which you have shown). There was also an outdoor dining area in the back called Brazos Court. Famous guests at the hotel included Sarah Bernhardt and Presidents Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.

The hotel was demolished in 1931 to make room for construction of a new, larger Southern Pacific terminal. At that time developer George Hermann bought and remodeled a building at 608 Preston at Smith to recreate the Brazos, even moving the stained glass and fixtures to the new location. The new location was never a success, however. The second Brazos Hotel building was razed in 1980.

[SpaceCity]

That's a beautiful old hotel I knew nothing about.

[dismuke]

Subdude, on Tuesday, August 31st, 2004 @ 8:00am, said:

At that time developer George Hermann bought and remodeled a building at 608 Preston at Smith to recreate the Brazos, even moving the stained glass and fixtures to the new location.  The new location was never a success, however.  The second Brazos Hotel building was razed in 1980.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks so much for the very interesting information.

What became of the fixtures and stained glass when the second hotel was razed? Did someone take it out and preserve them in some other building or were they destroyed?

[Subdude]

I would imagine they were all destroyed. Remember, these old hotels had been operating basically as flophouses for years. The former Brazos hotel operated under different names after the 1940s.

[Don Julio]

Subdude, on Wednesday, September 1st, 2004 @ 7:06am, said:

I would imagine they were all destroyed.  Remember, these old hotels had been operating basically as flophouses for years.  The former Brazos hotel operated under different names after the 1940s.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for posting these photos. What elegance there was in the ordinary back in the early 1900s. The "Ladies' Parlor" was a nice touch.

The Brazos Hotel was mentioned in a biography of William S. Burroughs, "Literary Outlaw." I think Burroughs' "gangster" buddy from NYC Herbert Huncke (also mentioned in Kerouac's "On the Road") stayed there or scored marijuana there circa 1947, when Burroughs was living north of Houston in New Waverly.

[Subdude]

Don Julio, on Thursday, September 15th, 2005 @ 8:50pm, said:

Thanks for posting these photos. What elegance there was in the ordinary back in the early 1900s. The "Ladies' Parlor" was a nice touch.

The Brazos Hotel was mentioned in a biography of William S. Burroughs, "Literary Outlaw." I think Burroughs' "gangster" buddy from NYC Herbert Huncke (also mentioned in Kerouac's "On the Road") stayed there or scored marijuana there circa 1947, when Burroughs was living north of Houston in New Waverly.

That would have been the second Brazos. I'll post a picture when I get back.

[Subdude]

And here it is.

[sevfiv]

welcome back!

[Subdude]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, November 1st, 2005 @ 11:54am, said:

welcome back!

Thanks! It's great to be back!

[nmainguy]

Subdude, on Tuesday, November 1st, 2005 @ 11:57am, said:

Thanks! It's great to be back!

OPPS...meant to post this somewhere earlier:
Glad you're back!

[tmariar]

Ran across this pretty cool photo of the Brazos Hotel. It's from a book electronically published by Rice University.

Edited by tmariar, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 7:54 PM.

[Vertigo58]

tmariar, on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 @ 7:53pm, said:

Ran across this pretty cool photo of the Brazos Hotel. It's from a book electronically published by Rice University.

That is unreal!

and are those trolley's or train cabs on the right under what appears to be a train yard? Hard to distinguish?

[Subdude]

Trains. The building in the center was the old Grand Central (Southern Pacific) Station. The first Brazos Hotel was right across the street, and it was demolished to make way for the new expanded station in the 1930s.

[Vertigo58]

Subdude, on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 @ 2:33pm, said:

Trains. The building in the center was the old Grand Central (Southern Pacific) Station. The first Brazos Hotel was right across the street, and it was demolished to make way for the new expanded station in the 1930s.

Ok, so the imagination wheels are in motion. Mentally picture a businessman arriving on a train into Houston, exit into the station, buy newspaper from paper boy, then walk just a few feet away and check into hotel. Rest up, then head downstairs to bar for a drink then take a stroll down crowded Main Street to see what all the hoopla is all about. Cut scene: 176

End of Reel:

We are so over due for a period film to be made of early Houston. With today's film technology all of these images can be recreated for the perfect historic backdrop. Someone drop a line to Scorcese or other directors known for bringing back historic moments to the big screen. Houston too long overdue.

Edited by Vertigo58, Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 3:04 PM.