gto250us Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 What is this building in downtown? Between the Aquarium and the Tennyson Hotel, at Bagby, Franklin and Preston streets. It is an ugly, apparently unused concrete bunker-like structure. It is not labeled in the HCAD or City of Houston databases. Damn I tried to insert a bing birds-eye picture but it won't take it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 This thing? Weird, never really noticed it before... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gto250us Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 This thing? Weird, never really noticed it before...Yes that is it. I drive by it every day. No one is ever there but it seems odd that it does not show up in either the Harris county database or the city database. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 Isn't that the city emergency management center? Really, I think that's what it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 It's the old HQ for Houston Fire Dept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 I think it's the fire alarm center that replaced an older building that was in Sam Houston Park. It seems to do its best to be anonymous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gto250us Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 (edited) I think it's the fire alarm center that replaced an older building that was in Sam Houston Park. It seems to do its best to be anonymous.I thought that the old Fire Alarm building was the building that went to Fertita in a "sweet deal" and then became the Aquarium.Then again further research suggests that you may be correct. The Aquarium was the main downtown fire station and headquarters which opened in 1968. In 1975 they opened a new fire alarm building across the street. According to Wiki. Edited April 6, 2010 by gto250us 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 The Houston Fire Alarm Building designed by Mackie and Kamrath. One book, mentions the address was 1012-1016 Bagby Street but I can't find any additional information to support that. I'm not sure of the validity. A decade-old Swamplot article mentions a City of Houston Fire Alarm Building was being demolished and had an address of 333 Preston Street. I also cannot find any supporting articles for that address. Most likely a different building all together. I heard, from the Swamplot comments, the Mackie and Kamrath building was demolished in the 1970s. Postcard I found on Ebay: Located in Houston’s new Civic Center and constructed in 1938, this building has received international acclaim as an outstanding example of modern contemporary architecture. In it culminates the vast network of City Automatic Electric Fire Alarm System. This room located on an intermediate upper level in the building contains the many electric panel boards of the Automatic Fire Alarm System. Sufficient extra space is allowed for the systems expansion to serve population of 1,000,000 people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted September 16, 2023 Share Posted September 16, 2023 Found an actual photo this week. Never seen that before! It's always been the post card. Cool history here! Dated 1940. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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