mls1202 Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I used to live in Midtown and always passed by the Kirby House. Does anyone know what business or organization is there? There is no signage at all. Probably some secret society planning to undermine urbanism in Midtown 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzerain Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I used to live in Midtown and always passed by the Kirby House. Does anyone know what business or organization is there? There is no signage at all.Probably some secret society planning to undermine urbanism in Midtown I went to a fundraiser there a couple of years ago. At that time it was a law office. I would assume it has not changed since then. I do not remember if it was one firm or a bunch of attorneys sharing the office space. It was pretty nice inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwood Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I used to live in Midtown and always passed by the Kirby House. Does anyone know what business or organization is there? There is no signage at all.Probably some secret society planning to undermine urbanism in Midtown The Kirby Mansion was built by the Kirby family of Kirby Lumber (and Kirby Drive). If I remember correctly, in the 1970 boom days it was purchased by a small independent oil company for their offices saving it from demolition. I don't know who owns it now. It's a great piece of Houston history even if it's in a tough location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 There was a story about 10 years ago on this. A guy going to UH Law drove by it everyday on his way to classs.He ended up buying it becuase he liked it so much.Isn't it his law firm now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 i think it's the law firm of philip azar, IIbut i don't think he went to UH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 maybe it was STCL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enviromain Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 (edited) I used to live in Midtown and always passed by the Kirby House. Does anyone know what business or organization is there? There is no signage at all. I found this photo at http://www.houstonhistory.com/poduct2/album3/jsalbum.html There it is referred to as the Inglenook, John Henry Kirby House, 2006 Smith Street at Pierce Avenue. It was originally built in 1893-94, remodeled 1807-1900, and then incorporated into a new house 1925. Edited November 15, 2006 by enviromain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 at one point a long time ago, the Red Cross was there as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 The worst fate of all.Somewhere John Henry Kirby is weeping. A law firm owns it and uses it for offices. http://www.bgflaw.com/our_offices.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapillionWyngs Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Somewhere John Henry Kirby is weeping. A law firm owns it and uses it for offices. http://www.bgflaw.com/our_offices.htmlIs this the one you can the chimneys see from the freeway - I45?the chimneys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Is this the one you can the chimneys see from the freeway - I45?the chimneysThat's the one. When it was built, it was outside the city with plenty of green open space around it. It was once a beautiful home. Now it's infested with lawyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebird65 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Anyone know how Kirby Drive got its name? I found an old story from the 1986 Chronicle about street names, but it doesn't talk about Kirby. Anyone know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chenevert Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 First result in google when I searched for "History of kirby houston"http://www.kirbycorp.com/corp/history.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 It's named for John Henry Kirby.John Henry Kirby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebird65 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 LOL! That didn't take long. I knew I'd come to the right place for an answer. Thanks to both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwood Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Anyone know how Kirby Drive got its name? I found an old story from the 1986 Chronicle about street names, but it doesn't talk about Kirby. Anyone know?The Kirby mansion still stands at 2000 Smith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpfan09 Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I thought Kirby Drive was named after John Kirby Allen, one of the Allen Brothers that founded the city of Houston in 1836. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceAge Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 A book titled HISTORIC HOUSTON STREETS- The Stories Behind the Names may be helpful with this type question. It is by Marks Hinton, 2004.Email to purchase: archivaltexas@aol.comLink You can view all the streets that begin with the letter A at the link above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinDaugherty Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Yeah, so perhaps the thread title isn't as catchy as "dead skunk in the middle of the road" ... but you gotta start somewhere!So there's this house I see, on my rare voyages into downtown to get cheese from the big Spec's. I'll be heading out of Spec's, so southwest on Smith until I get to 59, and just after I pass under the Pierce Elevated, on my right is this huge gorgeous old house.I am positive someone here has the skinny on it, what it is and what it was and how old it is and all that interesting info.(Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if there's already a thread on it and I just can't ID the sucka.)Thanks, y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 The Kirby Mansion. It is currently DWI lawyer Gary Trichter's law office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinDaugherty Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 See? I knew someone would know right off! Thank you much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 (edited) Your directions seem impossible. If you're heading out of Spec's and going SW on Smith toward 59, you're not going to pass under Pierce Elevated, because Spec's is SW of Pierce Elevated...perhaps you mean a different house by 527 Spur or something? Edited December 16, 2009 by kylejack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinDaugherty Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Might be 527 - the teensy little spur that takes you off Smith and onto 59, and seems like it has speed-trap potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 (edited) Is it this one?Or maybe this Edited December 16, 2009 by kylejack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 The Kirby Mansion. It is currently DWI lawyer Gary Trichter's law office. Didn't it used to be a Boy Scouts headquarters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverartfox Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Didn't it used to be a Boy Scouts headquarters?I believe it was the Red Cross headquarters years ago - remember attending a meeting there when I taught in Houston ISD. At that time, most of the original interior features were gone or covered up in a mid-century modernization attempt, but I remember seeing part of a bathroom wall with some fantastic tiles.My mother lived in Houston during the early years of the last century and recounted that, when the Kirby mansion was newly built, it had a natatorium where nude swimming parties took place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 (edited) The Guide says that Mr. Kirby and his family lived on this site from 1897, but in 1925 they replaced their Victorian house with this "rambling, 36-room English manor house" designed by James Ruskin Bailey. It has apparently been used for offices since 1948. James Ruskin Bailey was busy in the 1920s. He also did the education wing of First Methodist Church, a bank building downtown, and additions to Eastwood (later Lantrip) Elementary School.Having said that, I agree with kylejack that Kristin may mean one of the buildings he posted near Spur 527 instead of the Kirby house, which is north of Spec's. Edited December 17, 2009 by marmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerNut Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 So it has already been annexed to the Cadillac dealership. Isn't the house slated to be moved? Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 2 minutes ago, H-Town Man said: So it has already been annexed to the Cadillac dealership. Isn't the house slated to be moved? Â Is it? Last I heard Preservation Houston was trying to convince the dealership not to knock it down. Did they agree to move it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.