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Dan the Man

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Everything posted by Dan the Man

  1. I remember reading that an old Western Union building was incorporated into Phillip Johnson's Bank of America Center (don't know what it's called now). Demolishing the old building was cost-prohibitive, due to the large amount of communication lines that would have to be relocated. Therefore, the structure was left in place and the skyscraper was framed around it.
  2. The Village Theater and adjacent buildings on the block were torn down to make way for the second phase of the Village Arcade, a Weingarten development. It's too bad that they didn't save the theater; it would have made an interesting shell space for a restaurant or "faux funky" clothing store like urban outfitters.
  3. A good place to start would be the Texas Room at the public library downtown. They have all of Houston's old phone directories, and the older ones allow you to search by address. This will give you an approximate date of the building's construction (or when it first got telephone service), as well as the names of the original occupants and their occupations.
  4. Welcome to the forum! Out of the houses mentioned, the only one I am familiar with is the Weingarten house. It is still standing at 4000 S. MacGregor Way, but it needs a little TLC...
  5. The Dover books are great. Looking through them, I have found many plans that I recognize locally. This is especially interesting, since many of the original publishers of the plans were located out of state. Catalog plans were often copied or shared between companies, also adding to their duplication and far-flung distribution. Margaret Culbertson wrote an interesting book about local catalog homes. I think it's called "Texas Houses By the Book" or something like that.
  6. I never cared for that house, but I worry about what might go up in its place...
  7. Great photos! Thanks for posting! Lindale Park is a neat old neighborhood... The Reid's home was originally on the corner of Linder Ave and Irvington Blvd. When 610 was constructed, it was moved to its current location at the Northwest corner of Helmers and Woodard, across from St. Albans Episcopal Church. There is actually some truth to the claim regarding individual design in the homes. Though many homes share the same floor plan, they all differ slightly in their external appearance. There are very few duplicates. Does anyone know the story of that big English Tudor on Robertson near the intersection with Gale? Though it's not technically in Lindale Park, just outside the border. It's a nice old house, but it looks a little out of place in the "cheaper" half of the neighborhood among the wood-sided cottages.
  8. Wow, this has "Oil Boom Era" written all over it! Awesome house, though...
  9. According to the Houston Architectural Guide, Lamar High School was designed by John F. Staub and Kenneth Franzheim (with Louis A. Glover, Lamar Q. Cato, and Harry D. Payne). The Texas Map is by Nino Lenarduzzi.
  10. Those Hondas look like wanna-be BMWs. Ugh, no thanks...
  11. PhxTwr is correct. I also like that building. It looks very nice at sunset when the light is reflecting off of it just right. I'm glad they are replacing the glass, as it was not aging gracefully.
  12. I agree. Those light fixtures are especially gaudy...
  13. I think so. While the Shopping Center has more architectural significance that the theater, most people are more concerned about the theater. This whole movement is not just about historic preservation, rather it is about preserving places that are truely unique to Houston's Inner Loop. The theater has a lot of cultural significance to Houston, due to specificity brought about by old age and the alternative/indie culture that it embraces and symbolizes. The notion of replacing it with a generic commercial building that houses a national chain tenant is upsetting to a lot of people who value cultural authenticity and a sense of place in their surroundings.
  14. I also remember when Meyerland Plaza was "dead" in the 1980s. Some of the tenants I remember were JC Penney, Palais Royal, Circus Toy (I think that was the right name), Walter Pye's, Beall's, TSO, Woolworth's, Kenney's Shoes, and the movie theater. I think there was also an Oshman's in the mall, but I may be getting it confused with Sharpstown. Beall's had a big clock on the outside that always showed the wrong time. Circus Toy had a yellow and green linoleum floor with clowns on it. I always liked going there because they were larger than World Toy in the Rice Village, and I was really mad when they closed. I also remember that there was this really creepy enclosed space that you had to pass through to get from the parking lot to the open air part. I think it was between Palais Royal and the Circus Toy space (roughly where Bed Bath & Beyond is now).
  15. You are correct, the Art Moderne architecture of the 1937 buildings are dominated by clean lines, planar facades, and strong horizontal lines. This is a little difficult to see, since those 1980s black awnings obscure much of the buildings' intended appearance. I have attached a photo from the 1940s, so you can see the buildings without the awnings. The proposed buildings are not a successful interpretation of the original architecture. Yes, they have a curve facing Shepherd, but the buildings posess strong vertical elements that completely detract from the planar surfaces and horizontal emphasis that is inherent in the original architecture. The vertical elements also dramatically increase the perceived scale of the buildings, making them stick out like a sore thumb. Vertical elements are more indicative of the Art Deco of the 1920s and early 1930s. The current buildings, which date from 1937, are Art Moderne - a derivative of Art Deco that emerged in the late 1930s and lasted until the early 1950s. Art Moderne favors a horizonal emphasis, rather than a vertical emphasis. To say that the proposed buildings are a successful replacement shows a grave misunderstanding of architecture. Like you said, it is a shame that we will have to lose the old buildings in order for many people to see this fact. The new buildings look like cheap tilt-up to me...
  16. What a loss! That building would have made great loft space. How can a concrete frame warehouse not be a suitable candidate for adaptive re-use?! I really don't understand the mentality of our local developers and buyers. You would think people who are in the market for lofts would rather live in an old building with a lot of character, than some cheaply built "faux-authentic" version of one...
  17. This is an interesting thread, and the images are fascinating. On one of the park's bike trails south of Memorial, you can see several old building foundations in the middle of the woods. I have often wondered if these were remnants of some of the Camp Logan buildings. Does anyone know anything about these?
  18. Love the avatar, Southgater! Unfortunately the Village Theater was already closed by the time I was old enough to remember going to movies. However, I remember going to World Toys as a kid. That store had a very distinct smell that I will never forget - similar to the way that old houses smell when nothing inside has been changed for 40 yrs...
  19. That's sad...lots of memories associated with that place. I remember going there when it first opened, and it was definitely the nicest theater around. Prior to its opening, we used to go to the theater at Meyerland Plaza or the Bellaire theater (both of which are also history). I can't remember the last time I visited AMC Meyer Park, but it must have been at least 10 years ago...
  20. I have heard the same rumor. However, I also heard that an illegal demolition will result in a 2-year moratorium on re-building on the property, under the new preservation ordinance. Wonder if Weingarten also knows this?
  21. I think this is the "Willow Waterhole", a large detention pond that was built shortly after Tropical Storm Allison. It is part of the massive project to help minimize flooding in the neighborhoods along Brays Bayou.
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