Historic Houston Demolished Buildings

[sevfiv]

Did they tear down that old fire station caddy corner from the Valero? What about the old Marriott Hotel Braeswood @ Greenbriar, on the bayou.

Fire Station 33 is still standing and vacant - I like that building, but is has been neglected for four years now. The new #33 is a block south on Fannin on the opposite side of the street:

Firehouse 33 helds the unique distinction of being one of the last stations to be housed in an original volunteer station—it being the city hall/fire station of the Brasewood section of Houston at the corner of Fannin and Brasewood and was annexed in 1950. Land for a new Fire Station 33 was acquired on block from the current station and the new station 33 opened in August 2004. The orginial station building is no longer owned by the City.

(nice spelling!)

http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station33.html

[Vertigo58]

The original historic Rufus Cage Elementary School in Near East End, Telephone @ Lawndale. (has its own topic)

Is slowly or rather quickly deteriorating into oblivion. It was abandoned because it could no longer accommodate the growing student population to later become an HISD admin site then finally closed. The cafeteria and kitchen in back seems caved in already.

Hurricane Ike damaged the main building even worse now. I was glancing at the fun pics from around 1970-71. Happy, but saddened at the same time. Memories

Take your last pictures now.

[musicman]

Fire Station 33 is still standing and vacant - I like that building, but is has been neglected for four years now.

that's an understatement. when the firefighters were there, they didn't have heating and had numerous other probs.

[NenaE]

Fire Station 33 is still standing and vacant - I like that building, but is has been neglected for four years now. The new #33 is a block south on Fannin on the opposite side of the street:

Firehouse 33 helds the unique distinction of being one of the last stations to be housed in an original volunteer station

[Vertigo58]

Nena! Can't forget the long forgotten Meadowbrook Arches on the East End. That nice gentleman was able to describe in wonderful detail of his recollections of climbing inside and gazing down at the cars below as a kid. Eventually removed with nada in place of them.

and how can we forget the mansions that once lined Main Street? The one I personally loved the most was a mere 15 years old and demolished for a, drum roll........tire shop. (breaking pencil in half)

[rsb320]

That old fire station always caught my eye...I saw a "firehouse dalmation" there, as well, many years ago (I worked in the area). There was a station similar to it at Winkler & Howard Dr. (SE side), had those louvered, frosted glass windows. There were also some cool 60's apartments to the north of that station, lining the street, on both sides, going to the med center, on Fannin. The hotel in the Braeswood area was cool, as well, 50's googie style, empty lot, last I saw, was close to the Stables restaurant. There was also a Mexican food restaurant that was around there, don't remember the name, faced the bayou, on the north side, around Fannin & Braeswood, had a tall neon old sign. It burned down some years ago.

Can't believe I forgot to mention the Broadway Theater. That interior was beautiful.

Oh yeah, the Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, I think. It was at Main and N. Braeswood. It was still open until the late 90's or early 00's. There was also a great Chinese place on Main. I'm guessing it was about where Radio Shack, in the Target parking lot is now.

[wernicke]

Fire Station 33 is still standing and vacant - I like that building, but is has been neglected for four years now. The new #33 is a block south on Fannin on the opposite side of the street:

I believe this fire station (at Fannin and Braeswood) has been acquired by whoever runs/owns the Lanesborough apartments adjacent to the very large empty lot it sits on. This is a very large tract of land that seems prime for development... maybe someone knows something specific about plans for the site?

Also, the Valero at Fannin and Braeswood has been torn down... empty lot now, up for sale.

[Vertigo58]

Houston's FIRST Monorail built mid 1950's. Was built, dismanlted then scrapped...

Another big Houston up. We should be called the city that goes backwards in progress.

[IronTiger]

You may be thinking of Will Rogers Elementary which was demolished (along with the HISD building) to make way for Costco/Greenway Commons:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=2169

I don't remember when it was first spotted by me. It wasn't last spring, so it must have been summer 2007 or something. What's the progress on it now? Has it been built yet? (again, really sorry for being out of touch with Houston)

[Dan the Man]

The Costco is supposed to open fairly soon, if it hasn't already.

[dbigtex56]

New Orleans Po' Boys, on South Main - now just part of the wasteland between Alabama and Richmond.

That stucco, Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the 3500(?) block of Main. At least this site is now in use, as an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

[robhan]

There are so many in downtown that have been several buildingsOne torn down to make way for another and then another and now vacant lots.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Houston's FIRST Monorail built mid 1950's. Was built, dismanlted then scrapped...

There was a previous thread here about the monorail. I didn

[EspersonBuildings]

That stucco, Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the 3500(?) block of Main. At least this site is now in use, as an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

That was at the northwest intersection of Main and Berry. It was last a Mexican restaurant called LaPlacca (I think). My mom worked as a bus girl there around 1949-1950 when it was Kelly's Restaurant. Like you said, it is now an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

[dbigtex56]

That stucco, Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the 3500(?) block of Main. At least this site is now in use, as an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

That was at the northwest intersection of Main and Berry. It was last a Mexican restaurant called LaPlacca (I think). My mom worked as a bus girl there around 1949-1950 when it was Kelly's Restaurant. Like you said, it is now an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

Thanks EB.

If you have any recollections of your mom's time there, or pictures from that era I hope you'll share them. It was such a pretty building.

[Subdude]

New Orleans Po' Boys, on South Main - now just part of the wasteland between Alabama and Richmond.

That stucco, Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the 3500(?) block of Main. At least this site is now in use, as an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

I didn't realize they had both been torn down. Sad.

You are right that area is a bit of a dead zone.

[NenaE]

That stucco, Spanish/Mexican restaurant in the 3500(?) block of Main. At least this site is now in use, as an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

That was at the northwest intersection of Main and Berry. It was last a Mexican restaurant called LaPlacca (I think). My mom worked as a bus girl there around 1949-1950 when it was Kelly's Restaurant. Like you said, it is now an exceptionally ugly parking lot.

That Kelley's was a very popular spot in it's day, I've seen many postcards, matchbooks, & other references to it while researching.

I have to mention the Gulfgate Cinema...across the bridge, which leads to nothing, now, or maybe a metro park & ride.

Speaking of entrance arches, I ran across a 1908 Key to Houston book that told of Woodland Heights entrance gates made of stone - Spanish mission style, (3 gateways), middle one for vehicles, smaller ones for people. Always thought WHts was an extension of Heights, got the impression it wasn't.

[readam]

Oh yeah, the Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, I think. It was at Main and N. Braeswood. It was still open until the late 90's or early 00's. There was also a great Chinese place on Main. I'm guessing it was about where Radio Shack, in the Target parking lot is now.

My wife and I in our pre-nuptual, college days, dined at a restaurant--really a fancy hamburger joint --at the eastern corner of S. Main and N. Braeswood in the 60s and early 70s called Jaime's ( pronounced Jamee's ). Also Lee's Den was the Chinese place as has been mentioned.

[Vertigo58]

At corner of 45 at Telephone Rd. They wiped out 3-5 very good places and all for nothing.

1. The beautiful huge neon flickering Coca-Cola Billboard

2. Italian Beef House Restaurant (directly behind this billboard) with some of the best sandwiches in the world! Also had a tiny little lounge adjacent to it.

3. Steak & Egg breakfast restaurant - now a dull, ugly pawn shop

4. Beautiful large turn of the century home (was moved to ?) now a paint ball play ground?

5. A nice little gas station that was so convenient to everyone. Just a vacant lot.

We are going backwards people.

Oh yes....

6. At 45 & Wayside, Holiday Inn long gone just another empty wasteland.

[EspersonBuildings]

My wife and I in our pre-nuptual, college days, dined at a restaurant--really a fancy hamburger joint --at the eastern corner of S. Main and N. Braeswood in the 60s and early 70s called Jaime's ( pronounced Jamee's ). Also Lee's Den was the Chinese place as has been mentioned.

Thanks for that! I had forgotten about Jaime's. I remember the fancy marquee. This is one and the same as LaHacienda. Not sure if Jaime's was the original restaurant but do know that the building was last LaHacienda before finally being demolished.

[Vertigo58]

The wondrous Grant''s Department Store. Best toy dept and Santa Claus in the world!

Remained an ugly dull cheap parking lot for decades? They never built those magnificent modern towers they had planned to be built there. Deal never went rhu I guess.

As in previous thread all you can see is the GRANTS tile entrance IF still there? The restaurant was just to the right as you walked in that doorway. Best burgers/fries ever.

[sevfiv]

Houck house (lot was subdivided but half is still empty I believe):

Serbin is having a hard time getting rid of the last half of that lot (Houck house was demolished 04/2007):

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

[Vertigo58]

The numerous gas stations that once lined the very starting point of Telephone Road. 700 block all the way to Gulf frwy 45.

At least 4 - 5 were closed then torn down or converted to junky business's and left all of this little village without. These were so very convenient.

[Subdude]

Serbin is having a hard time getting rid of the last half of that lot (Houck house was demolished 04/2007):

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

Sev, what was the Houck house?

It is always kind of cool when a building is demolished but they leave the foundation.

IG&N train depot east of downtown

Carousel Motel on Reveille

John's Restaurant (later a tiki joint) on South Main

St Agnes on Fannin (although Ventana is now on the site)

[hadooga]

Serbin is having a hard time getting rid of the last half of that lot (Houck house was demolished 04/2007):

He passed away towards the end of 2007. I remember seeing the obit & his name only being familiar to me because of this Houck house connection.

[sevfiv]

He passed away towards the end of 2007. I remember seeing the obit & his name only being familiar to me because of this Houck house connection.

Oh yeah, I see that now. He died September 17, 2007. The house was demolished in April of that year.

Looks like the "Serbin Partnership II," which owns the property, doesn't really exist anymore either.

His obituary states that he was a computer systems engineer and also had an architectural antiques business (in Pennsylvania). He moved here to expand the antique business but ended up founding Texas Commercial Brokers, Inc. "Through Texas Commercial Brokers, Richard played an instrumental role in the revitalization of the Rice Village commercial area." He also won the 2006 Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award for his civic contributions.

Sev, what was the Houck house?

It was a 1940s-era streamline moderne house. Very cool looking. Unique for Houston.

This is a timeline of the demise (first picture from the AIA guide, second from Karen Lantz (2004), and third right before demolition (04/2007):

[NenaE]

There is a streamline moderne house in Idylwood (sits on N. MacGregor Way) that looks very similar to that Houck house.

[rsb320]

This house was at Bellefontaine and Braes. I used to live a couple of blocks away. I was really surprised to see the twisted pile of rubble during demo. This was a steel-framed house. I found that really odd.

[sevfiv]

The address was 3780 Gramercy, but it took up the two lots near the corner of Braes - it backed up to the Shell building. For some reason I didn't migrate the Houck house page with all the pictures to my "new" site, so I'll have to get to that..

[Vertigo58]

There is a streamline moderne house in Idylwood (sits on N. MacGregor Way) that looks very similar to that Houck house.

Your exactly right Nena! I almost flipped backwards in my chair when I saw that picture and was yelling out loud.....

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!

So the twin home is still alive and well in Idylwood (for now anyway). The homes in that specific section look like they could film period movies from the 1930's or 40's, no joke.

We always called the corner one the Bette Davis house since it looked like one she would have lived in it.