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wow!! This neverbuilt building for the Westheimer Transfer and Storage Company!! Beautiful architecture. Too bad it was never built. At least, not to my knowledge. From the newspaper The Texas Jewish Herald dated March 29, 1928. 8-Story Furniture Repository Plans are being prepared by Hedrick & Gottlieb, local architects, for this elaborate eight-story furniture redepository to be built at Main and Rosewood for Ben S. Hurwitz and Associate at cost of approximately $200,000. Hurwitz and Associates will build on South Main A $250,000 eight-story reinforced concrete brick and stone repository building for the Westheimer Transfer and Storage Company is planned on the northwest corner of Main Boulevard and Rosewood. Work will start within 60 days, Sam L. Bloomberg, vice president of the transfer company, said Saturday-- The late S.J. Westheimer, founder of the company, often had planned to build a modern repositroy in the semi-residence section of Houston, Mr. Bloomberg said-- The building and grounds are designed by George S. Kingsley of New York. Hedrick & Gottlieb are the local architects.

Does anyone remember (or have pictures) of the old Medical Arts Building downtown (circa 1929), just north of Houston Center? As I recall, it was an early Art Deco skyscraper. When I saw it in the early 80s it was filthy and neglected, but the design and detail were memorable. It can be seen in the upper part of the photo, while under demolition: Anyone have a better picture or any info? It was quite an attractive building.

I recently discovered another Wyatt C. Hedrick and Gottlieb building that was built in the 1920s. Thought I would share this information regarding this old downtown bank. Very cool history here!!

Somebody said a convent was there and Tremont owners threw the nuns out and that was why it went to hell it was cursed.

Hi All, I'm new to the forum and was just looking for insight on Franklin Lofts. I've been through one of their open-house events and was pretty impressed overall. The building is beautiful and has a lot of pros in my mind. I'm considering trying to buy there but just wanted some feedback before I start making any serious decisions. This is what I've come up with so far: Edit: The building was originally the First National Bank at 201 Main Street. Pros: 1.) Location 2.) (Relatively) Low HOA fees 3.) Historic tax exemption 4.) Spacious floorplans/hardwood floors 5.) Parking, etc. Cons: 1.) Good Value?? 2.) Cheap looking cabinets, kitchen area I keep finding myself going back and forth so any opionions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Good news! The long vacant Republic Building (originally the Paul Building) at the corner of Fannin and Preston has been purchased and will be renovated and occupied by a division of MVL Group, a contractor that does government work worldwide. It sounds like they are doing this the right way: “We will be immediately implementing a series of beautification projects such as replacing the missing cornice, artwork on the walled up exterior sides of the building, and removing the entrance, as well as a complete overhaul of the HVAC system and elevator,” said Abie Musa, founder of MVL Group, a global defense contractor and construction management firm. This is in contrast to other nearby renovation projects, such as the State National building (412 Main) a few years ago where the developer ran out of money for the cornice and just took it off instead of repairing it, severely compromising the architecture. The Scanlan Building (405 Main) next door also lost a cornice at some point. Just think, a renovation project that restores a cornice instead of taking it off - we're almost starting to get civilized around here! They are also adding murals to the blank walls on the south and west sides, which will be visible from a wide area along Main and Prairie. Here is hoping that the new cornice will be made from quality materials, and that the GFR, currently housing the Fannin Corner Store, will get some love. https://realtynewsreport.com/2020/06/26/the-historic-republic-building-in-downtown-houston-has-been-sold/

I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated June 27, 1946 and came across Dr. E.W. Bertner's residential home. Residents of Greater Houston are being asked to contribute toward a fund to raise $3,750,000 for the University of Texas' part in the Medical Center. The M.D. Anderson Foundation has earmarked $2,500,000 for this project if the additional sum can be raised to complete the $6,250,000 required for buildings. A systematic canvass is being made among business and professional people for contribution to the fund, but the public may also participate by sending a check to Dr. E.W. Bertner, president of the center, at 2310 Baldwin. This is a project deserving of support because we, the residents of Greater Houston will benefit financially. It is even more worthy from the humanitarian standpoint. In June 15, 1950 he lived at the Rice Hotel. Dr. E.W. Bertner, Rice Hotel, distinguished physician and guiding force behind Houston's great Texas Medical Center, was presented with an honorary degree of doctor of laws in present of 50 doctors, lawyers and business leaders.

I would also remove the facade from 806 Main (orig. Carter building). There's a real beauty underneath:

This thread was originally created May 7, 2019. I'm reposting this because this post and other content from me are no longer available on the forum. The original thread is archived here. 2201 Market Street in Galveston. This is the site of the United States National Bank.

I doubt they were high-end apartments, especially in late 1980s-era downtown (probably only used for exterior shots, while the interior set was somewhere else). The high-end apartment towers (not built downtown) kept their value, but the hotels that permanently closed in this era weren't able to be converted to high-end housing and either became retirement homes or were torn down entirely.

That area was called Oak Place. There had been a large mansion on that property with several out-buildings around it. The buildings that were still standing that you remember were probably some of those. The Porno Picnic was in a house on the corner of Bremond and Helena/Oak Place. It was dark back there because of all the old Live Oaks that shaded the area. Just another of the unique Houston places that have disappeared. Harris County Block Book of Parker Home

I finally got some of my boxes of old books unpacked. I came across a 1941 Directory for the Houston Country Club back when it was still located on Wayside. It had a couple of interesting old pictures of the club in it. I stopped by over there. What appears to be that mantle is in one of the snack shop rooms, under about 15 coats of paint. I don't know if that is the original location or not. Very little else is recognizable from these photos.

Name change After nearly three years, the chic Sam Houston Hotel has a new name. The boutique inn, which opened in 2002 in a historic building at 1117 Prairie, is now known as Alden-Houston. A snag with online search sites was part of the reason for the name change. Sites directed users looking for the downtown property to a hotel on the Sam Houston Parkway. "We needed to find a neutral name," said Bill Franks, president of Spire Realty, which owns the hotel. The only other significant change will be the removal of the lobby's impressive sepia-toned mural of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Gen. Sam Houston led his troops to victory. The company may also open more hotels in other cities, and it wanted a recognizable brand name. "Sam Houston doesn't mean much in Atlanta, Ga., New York City or Chicago, Ill.," Franks said.

Edit: Oops, this was for the neighborhood association only! It appeared to be open to everyone...

This is a Sanguinet, Staats, Hedrick, and Gottlieb building, but you'd never know it since the horrible re-veneer

Sept. 17, 2004, 11:20PM Olajuwon to score big profit on old Federal Reserve sale Bank building likely will be medical offices By NANCY SARNOFF Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle The transformation of the sleepy south end of downtown has taken another step forward with a deal to sell the Federal Reserve bank building to a developer. ADVERTISEMENT The seller is retired basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon, who will reportedly turn a big profit on the property purchased four years ago. The buyer, Medistar Corp., is a Houston-based firm that builds hospitals and doctors' offices around the country. It will likely develop a medical office facility on the site, which is near Christus St. Joseph Hospital. The Federal Reserve building sits in a part of downtown that hasn't seen as much new development action as the north side. But that is starting to change. A new headquarters building and transit center for the Metropolitan Transit Authority at 1900 Main will be completed within a few months. And a new Roman Catholic cathedral is expected to break ground early next year on a site adjacent to the federal building. Even Christus St. Joseph Hospital has started a $130 million capital campaign for expansions to existing facilities, a new patient tower and a medical office building. Olajuwon purchased the federal building and an adjacent parking lot in 2000, when he was transitioning a career on the courts to one in real estate. At the time, he paid about $4.3 million for the property, which he leased back to the Fed. Medistar has contracted to buy the downtown building and parking lot for about $13 million. While some type of medical facility is likely to replace the federal bank building, Medistar official Wayne Green said his company is considering other options after the company closes on the deal, which is expected by year end. "We are in the process of conducting a feasibility study to determine the highest and best use of this property, which may or may not include medical," he said. In any future development, additional floors likely will be added to the existing property. Constructed around the 1950s, the bank building was designed to be expanded vertically, said David Cook of Cushman & Wakefield, who is brokering the sale to Medistar, along with Jeff Peden and Marshall Davidson. Olajuwon bought the building, which is almost 100,000 square feet, with an agreement to lease it back to the Federal Reserve until the bank's new building was completed. Next year the Federal Reserve Bank will relocate to an Allen Parkway facility that is three times the size of its downtown building. In recent years, Olajuwon has acquired other properties ranging from a historic downtown building, which he turned into a religious mosque, to an abandoned shopping mall in Missouri City. Olajuwon has done little with most of the properties he has purchased, opting to sell many of them for a hefty profit. Last year, Medistar took possession of another site owned by Olajuwon near the Texas Medical Center. It is expected to have a medical-related use. Plans for that parcel are under evaluation, Green said