Sears At 4201 South Main St.

[Willsatx]

This Sears needs a to go back to the Art Deco style AND

bring back the popcorn and icee days!

I miss the icee and popcorn, will check out the Sears tomorrow and let you all know how it looks.

[houstonmacbro]

Wow the building is butt ugly now.

It was kinda deco then. I had really thought that by now, that location would be closed.

[Vertigo58]

It was kinda deco then. I had really thought that by now, that location would be closed.

and I doubt they would ever listen to "us" just to restore to original appearance. The building is just too wedged into a cramp space. Trucks have a hellish time just trying to back in to unload. The rail has created a mass of people rushing across the streets to catch the rail as it stops. At rush hour its a bad risky scramble of pedestrians/homeless. Sears is just out of place, period. May as well demolish and or build a new one over closer to the tire shop. Going inside for me anyway is just for the sake of nostalgia. Head towards the back and the original stairs/water fountains of marble or whatever that mateiral is there. The restrooms still looked like form 1960's, but it could be altered by now. Anyhow, as I said it would cost more to save. Kind of miss seeing Winnie The Pooh stuffed bears everywhere.

[sevfiv]

i like the south main location - plus, it's the only centrally located Sears (although the N. Shepherd location isn't too far away - and still has a deco-ish appearance)

the vehicle loading area is in a really bad location - maybe it could be relocated somehow...

so how hard could it be to grab a few crowbars and yank that cladding off?

[houstonmacbro]

Just wondering if it being in mid-town and all the renovations going on, that it will get a face lift, redesign, etc. It really could be a showplace for Sears (and the city) if they just put a little money and creativity into it.

You folks had some great ideas and suggestions.

My thing is not so much the location or the design, it's the merchandise. Sears never really ... excites.

[Willsatx]

I passed by the Sears on Saturday afternoon and was amazed by the homeless people on Main St, I wanted to get off and look but my wife was very much aganist it. But hopefully on my next trip I can check out the inside.

[houstonmacbro]

Hey, the homeless are residents too ... don't let the look frighten you.

[Disastro]

Hey, the homeless are residents too ... don't let the look frighten you.

I can't believe they took a classically designed, nice department store building and turned it into complete shite. That's one ugly building now...and looks like it needs to be condemned.

[plumber2]

I was told by an employee just a couple of weeks ago that the building and property is now owned by Rice University. Sears is just a tenant. And don't forget that Sears is now owned by Kmart, the corporate name just recently changed from Kmart Holdings to Sears Holdings.

[chrisngrod]

Don't be afraid. Most of them will only ask for money or something at worst. Just don't make yourself look like a stranger to the area. Anyone can sense fear. Walk into Sears like you know where you're going.

[sevfiv]

I was told by an employee just a couple of weeks ago that the building and property is now owned by Rice University. Sears is just a tenant. And don't forget that Sears is now owned by Kmart, the corporate name just recently changed from Kmart Holdings to Sears Holdings.

i wonder if this would be really recent - tax records show sears+roebuck as the owners since forever

[NenaE]

It would be nice to have one vintage Sears bldg. restored and still occupied. Sears has a long association with Houston. The original store was located on Buffalo Drive, Allen Pkwy area (it flooded). Guess I'm just sentimental. I grew up with these bldgs.(the one on Harrisburg Blvd. & the one in Pasadena (mentioned in AIA Architecture book, 1st Ed., Papademetriou-Author). Not to mention, Art Deco is my latest Arch. fascination. There was one on the Northwest side as well. Is it still there?

I remember the Sears restaurant in the Harrisburg location, bomarang formica tabletops, 1960's of course.

[rsb320]

Maybe someone could restore the building and make it a multi-tenant shopping, restaurants, bars. They could put an arcade or something like that in the basement. I'd really rather Sear's do something with the building since it's the one that I use for tools and appliances.

[thawk]

In the new issue of Cite there is an article about the old Sears on South Main at Wheeler called "When Good Buildings Go Bad". The article is about how the beautiful old art deco building was remodeled to look like a giant metal storage shed. It says that the metal cladding was added in 1968. In the old HAIF I remember there was a thread about Sears, and someone posted some old photos of Sears shortly after the facade had been added. I could swear that they were from the early-mid 1950s, not the late 1960s. Can anyone verify if this is correct? Thanks.

Before remodeling:

Subdude:

Any chance you could find the color picture of the old Sears Store on South Main?

(IMG:http://xs35.xs.to/pics/05261/Sears.jpg)

It used to be hosted at the above site. It looks like a wonderful old postcard. I am trying to find Sears and Roebucks nostalgia information for a friend who is interested in Sears history. He would enjoy seeing that, and I would like to see the the original postcard. I used to go to a Sears store like that back in the 50's.

All I can find is the thumbnail:

Many Thanks

thawk

[Subdude]

Here you are.

[thawk]

Muchos gracias!

[pdmalek]

This Sears needs a to go back to the Art Deco style AND

bring back the popcorn and icee days!

I almost forgot about that. The smell of the popcorn would pu;; you in. And, they had the neat candy stand.

[Jax]

Wow, it even had windows!

[NenaE]

I almost forgot about that. The smell of the popcorn would pu;; you in. And, they had the neat candy stand.

The Pasadena Sears was the same way. I have good memories of that popcorn smell, those huge glass display cases of every kind of colorful candy.

[lokithebubba]

Sears update in today's Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...es/5924010.html

[SunKing]

Sears update in today's Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...es/5924010.html

That was a good article - thanks for the link.

[Fringe]

Good article. The land is owned by Rice University but Sears has like a 50 year lease.

[plumber2]

People don't forget that Kmart owns Sears, not the other way around, and Kmart bailed on Houston 5 years ago. Don't get your hopes up.

[Vertigo58]

Sears update in today's Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...es/5924010.html

The article is dead on correct. Truly an eyesore.

On a nostlagic note I was amazed (floored) to see the key maker in his little booth outside as if it were still 1968. I needed some keys made so went for it. Another bygone or as the other topic noted Later Day Luxury of the past.

You can get some heck of a good deals inside. Do it before they plow it under. It will be kind of sad to see it go but it is simply in the way of progress. Nice knowing ya Sears Main street.

[NenaE]

Sears update in today's Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...es/5924010.html

Good article on the Sears bldg. history/architects. Always like to know that. Someone needs to recognize the huge potential of this bldg. Can't just find those materials anywhere, nowadays. Not to mention one with such a history in this city. On one positive note, Sears doesn't own the land, Rice does. IMO, Rice University needs to buy out Sears interests & convert it into housing for students, or something to benefit the school, preferably the Architectural Dept. It's right on the rail line, perfectly short commute.

Wonder what happened to all that brass on the escalators.

[sheeats]

On a nostlagic note I was amazed (floored) to see the key maker in his little booth outside as if it were still 1968. I needed some keys made so went for it. Another bygone or as the other topic noted Later Day Luxury of the past.

The little key-maker booth exists outside of every Sears, unless I'm very much mistaken. There's one over here by me, and I've seen other key booths outsider other Sears around town.

[NenaE]

The little key-maker booth exists outside of every Sears, unless I'm very much mistaken. There's one over here by me, and I've seen other key booths outsider other Sears around town.

You are correct, there was a key booth outside the Pasadena location, as well. I remember it was the first place I saw the different colored keys. Was mesmerized, haha. I also remember the bells ringing for codes, calling the store employees. And the stairs located on each side of the bldg, w/rubber mats. We liked to play on them. "Sears -Roebuck" was definitely the place to go, in it's heyday. Spent many days there as a kid. The Christmas Catalog was the best.

[Vertigo58]

You are correct, there was a key booth outside the Pasadena location, as well. I remember it was the first place I saw the different colored keys. Was mesmerized, haha. I also remember the bells ringing for codes, calling the store employees. And the stairs located on each side of the bldg, w/rubber mats. We liked to play on them. "Sears -Roebuck" was definitely the place to go, in it's heyday. Spent many days there as a kid. The Christmas Catalog was the best.

Nena you forgot the BEST part....the TOY DEPT!

I used to rush down that escalator (much to the chagrin of mom) to run to the toys. I had to see what the newest Lego addtions were there. I practically would push shoppers to the side to check out. It was a fixation for a while, but Sears was always known for having the coolest toys like mechanical Godzilla's, robots, Tonka Trucks, GI Joe's etc, etc, etc. We kids were in toy heaven!

[texas911]

While we all agree that the Sears Building is ugly in its current state, to me at least, the reason to update it was admirable. The 60's had a vision and hope for the future. They loved all things "futuristic". They thought humankind was moving forward. Compared to todays crappy rehash of all things old. See the ridiculous Mediterranean, italian and Spanish colonial crap going up all over the city. I feel like we let them down.

[Dan the Man]

While we all agree that the Sears Building is ugly in its current state, to me at least, the reason to update it was admirable. The 60's had a vision and hope for the future. They loved all things "futuristic". They thought humankind was moving forward. Compared to todays crappy rehash of all things old. See the ridiculous Mediterranean, italian and Spanish colonial crap going up all over the city. I feel like we let them down.

While I would like to see this building restored to its Art Deco glory, I do share your sentiment regarding a futuristic approach to architecture. It seems the more I learn about architectural history, the more I favor Modernism in new construction.