Search the Community

Sounds kind of funny to be calling a 1974 building historic but I suppose it was one of the first residential highrises in Houston. There is also the 2016 Main building which was built in the mid 60s I believe. It's gotten a little worn, but they still try to keep it up. That building is on the site where a large mansion used to stand owned by the Levy family who founded the Levy Brothers Department Store. The brothers and their sister lived in the house for many years and I don't believe any of them ever married. When the house was torn down finally, the 2016 main highrise was built and it's my understanding the Levy sister lived there for a time before her death. Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co.

In 1928, Joseph Finger planned a four-story building for the Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. Jesse H. Jones later commissioned Alfred C. Finn to add five-floors of office space above the Levy Bros. store. At the same time, Alfred C. Finn removed most of Joseph Finger’s proposed Art Deco ornamentation. In 1939, Jesse H. Jones commissioned Alfred C. Finn to increase the building’s height to 22-stories. At this time, the company was nicknamed Levy's for short. Note* I had help from the following website: http://www.houstondeco.org/1920s/levys.html

A little confusing, but I believe this Joseph Finger building did not get built. Jesse H. Jones hired Alfred C. Finn to increase the height and change a few things. The original design by Finger was not selected.

wow!! I discovered a new (to me) department store in Houston! I searched around HAIF and there was only 2 or 3 mentions over the past 15 years. Figured I would create an official thread so people can gain more knowledge about the company. In terms of the company name, and searching around the internet, the name was spelled many ways. Levy Brothers Department Store Levy Bros. Department Store Levy Brothers Dry Goods Company Levy Brothers Dry Goods Co. Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. Levy Brothers Company Looks like the official wording, per company letterhead and invoices, was Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. From an invoice dated December 12, 1952: Several online Houston history blogs indicate the address was 309 Main Street. The 1907 Sanborn Houston map had the company surrounding the addresses 309, 311, and 313 Main Street. I searched through old newspapers for both 309 and 313 Main Street and did not find any information containing Levy Bros. When searching for 311 Main, I got results. From the newspaper The Houston Post. dated March 8, 1914: Department Stores Dexter, Fred F. 230 W. Seventeenth Ave., H. Hts. Taylor 205 Levy Bros., 311 Main. Preston 36 Munn Co., W.C., Travis St. Capitol Ave. and Main St. Preston 218; A1131. The Houston Post. dated June 24, 1914: J.B. Westover, Adv. Mgr. Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. Dry Goods and Women's Furnish'gs 311 Main St. Phone P675 From a 1907 Sanborn Houston map: A photo of the Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. building at 311 Main Street.