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EspersonBuildings

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  1. EspersonBuildings
    Not sure about the architect but agree, it's a beautiful structure. Another similar looking (possibly from the same era and same architect) Southwestern Bell building is at the northwest corner of Harrisburg Blvd and Wayside, also with elaborate design. Still another (possibly also a Southwestern Bell building) is on the north side of Bellaire Blvd at Academy Street. I like looking at the original Southwestern Bell building (downtown at the northwest corner of Capitol Avenue and San Jacinto Street) and see how it expanded early on both in height and width (to the west). Interesting how these buildings had most (if not all) of their windows sealed years later.
  2. EspersonBuildings
    j_cuevas713 and corbs315, you are both absolutely correct!
  3. EspersonBuildings
    I guessing you are correct that this was the location of St. John the Divine before the River Oaks church was built. My book, Houston Architectural Guide, 2nd Edition, lists the current St. John being built in 1954.
  4. EspersonBuildings
    Interesting how that part of Main Street was considered "South Main" in those days. My mom used to always refer to the old Sears on Main and Wheeler (now ION Building) as "Sears on South Main" while my dad would just say "Sears AND ROEBUCK", .. Still even further up Main there was South Main Bank, between Anita and Rosalie, (now the sight of Dave Ward/Crime Stoppers Building). I believe it was a Wells Fargo Bank before being demolished about 8 years ago.
  5. EspersonBuildings
    It was actually Main Street at Dallas Avenue (1201 Main). This is where the Humble Oil Building (later Exxon) was located now Marriot Hotel complex. You are thinking of the Exxon Building that was at 800 Bell, a block away from Main. I believe The Quality Hill neighborhood was somewhere near Incarnate Word Academy on the east side of Main.
  6. EspersonBuildings
    And you can also see the original Club Houston bathhouse to the right, which is now located where this gem of a house once stood. Great picture Highrise! I have fond memories of driving by this house as a kid whenever we ventured into downtown.
  7. EspersonBuildings
    I'm sure the school didn't have its own water supply tower, the water to the school just came from this source. I'm sure the signage was just advertising the subdivision. People just associated the tower with the school because it was visible to so many. I grew up in the Meredith Manor subdivision in the Hiram Clarke area. We had a "sister" water tower to the Westbury one which is on West Orem and White Heather, just across the street from Madison High School. People also associated this tower to Madison. I could be wrong but many years later this tower was painted blue, possibly because blue was one of Madison's colors. Anyway, when we were very young (late 60's/early 70's) this tower had HOLIDAY HILLS painted on the top part of the tower. We, the kids, assumed the subdivision was previously named Holiday Hills just as Westbury was painted on the top of their tower. Years later I asked an old-time resident about this, and she informed me when the subdivision was first built (early 60's) it had its own water company, The Holiday Hills Water Company. Loved the vintage pic of the tower, thanks! I would kill to see one for the original Holiday Hills tower.
  8. EspersonBuildings
    My mother's family grew up in the 5th Ward (more specifically Comfort Place). Most were born at St. Jospeh and Jefferson Davis Hospitals. However, her oldest sister (born in 1924) we were told was born at Camp Logan. I never understood that because I didn't link a hospital with Camp Logan. Her family was weird (mental disorder more specifically) and had many secrets, so I never asked, and it was never elaborated on her oldest sister's birth, also the oldest sister was born out of wedlock. Makes sense now about her being born at Camp Logan. Thanks!
  9. EspersonBuildings
    Could be either.
  10. EspersonBuildings
    I'm 60, grew up in the Hiram Clarke area (1965 to 1983). I remember the Lucky 7 store on South Post Oak Road at West Fuqua (G&P), the Food Giant on West Fuqua at White Heather, the Piggly-Wiggly on South Post Road, just south of Willowbend (now Foodarama), and the Eagle on South Main, just north of The South Loop Freeway. With the exception of Eagle, my mother shopped at all these grocery stores, as well as Weingarten's (West Fuqua at Hiram Clarke), Rice Food Market (West Orem at Hiram Clarke), Minimax, later Gerland's (South Post Oak Road at West Orem), and for a short while a brand-new Kroger on West Fuqua at White Heather (across from Food Giant). The Hiram Clarke area now only has one grocery store, a Fiesta (the former Weingarten's). Wow, talk about going down memory lane!
  11. EspersonBuildings
    Cool pictures of the interior! 😎 Thank you for sharing!
  12. EspersonBuildings
    You're welcome. Interesting post you wrote. BTW, you are correct, the low rise behind the building under construction is indeed the former APC Building. This is a guess on my part, but I don't think Bill Williams would have been visible from this angle because it was located immediately north of Dryden (where the Marriot now stands but facing Main). This would be just below the motor bank with drive throughs on either side in this picture. I could be wrong on this but thanks for making me pick my brain.
  13. EspersonBuildings
    You mean Medical Towers Professional Building on Dryden (now The Westin Houston Medical Center Hotel), not Medical Arts. Medical Arts was located in downtown on the northern end of Houston Center, demolished in the early 1970's, I think. I am the youngest of five kids who were all born at Methodist Hospital (the first four on Bertner, me on Fannin) and our mother's OB doctor's office was in The Medical Towers Building. I visited the KAUM offices in the Fannin Bank Building when I was 16 in 1979 and tried to meet DJ Joannie Brennan. Unfortunately, they would not let me see her but gave me a KAUM bumper sticker. I did manage to speak to her on the phone later and she mailed me a picture of herself in front of her DJ microphone with a big beaming smile. I might even still have that picture (somewhere boxed up).
  14. EspersonBuildings
    I think you have the locations reversed. I believe the original store was in the 600 block of Main (the picture) and the 900 block of Main was the later location designed by Kenneth Franzheim.
  15. EspersonBuildings
    +++ CORRECTION +++ "IN FACT, IT IS ALMOST A DUPLICATE OF 2401 SAN JACINTO".
  16. EspersonBuildings
    Also composed of the same Cordova Shell Limestone is 5015 Fannin (Nehemiah Center) a little further south. I've often wondered if it too was built around the same time as the former Rich's building and by the same builder. In fact, it is almost a duplicate of 2401 Fannin.
  17. EspersonBuildings
    Pretty sure it was always pronounced An-tones. I remember the location at OST and S. Main quite well along with the Victoria Station rail cars.
  18. EspersonBuildings
    "bookey23", "ChannelTwoNews" is correct that you are probably referring to the old Wells Fargo Motor Bank. I'm guessing they mean this structure and not The YMCA parking garage. But what do I know? 😃
  19. EspersonBuildings
    I grew up in the Hiram Clarke area in the 1960's and 70's. Went to Montgomery Elementary, Dowling Junior High, and Madison High. We used to go to the South Main Drive In, (then later McClendon Triple). Don't know if this is the same but I do recall going to the go carts on South Main. It was located on the southern side of the street past Willowbend and before the South Loop, it was on one side of the fire station. Had a lot of fun there!
  20. EspersonBuildings
    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
  21. EspersonBuildings
    Ponchos Mexican Buffet in Bellaire. I remember from late 70's/early 80's.
  22. EspersonBuildings
    From 1983 to 1985 I bought many 12" single dance records there. Still have most of them! Dancing my butt off at Numbers, Richs, and The Copa I knew when I got turned on to a new dance hit, I'd head over the Record Rack to start (later to add to) my collection. Aaah, the memories!
  23. EspersonBuildings
    You must be from out of town, lol! This is Houston, sadly this kind of horrible things happens all the time!
  24. EspersonBuildings
    "gnu is correct, definitely not The Texaco Building, close though as that is a couple of blocks away. The tower on the left is JW Marriott Houston Downtown , originally the Carter Building, 806 Main Street. The Carter Building was built in 1910 as a 16 story office building. This photo was circa 1925 because you can see construction of the 6 story addition was just starting plus you can also see a block further up, the Niels Esperson Building, 808 Travis, is under construction (completed in 1927). Across Main Street, where BG Group Place (811 Main) now stands, you can see the edge of The Cotton Hotel, which later became The Montague Hotel to the left of the two low rise structures. Across the street on Rusk from them is The Houston Bar Center, built in 1914, now AC Hotel by Marriott Houston, 723 Main Street. "Montrose1100", I think you are a little off about the direction of the picture. This is looking west on Rusk Avenue (yes, in the early 20th century, the east/west streets of downtown and midtown were "Avenues"). "hindesky", thanks for the vintage photos. Love them all!
  25. EspersonBuildings
    I always liked him, sorry to see him go. But on the flip side, former KTRK weather man Colin Meyers has joined Fox 26, nice seeing him again!
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