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Sears At 4201 South Main St.


Subdude

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Wondering about the cladding:

I wonder if the original concrete? stucco? walls had deteriorated (Hurricane Carla, maybe?) and the metal cladding was a cheaper alternative to redoing them? I can't think of another building that has that kind of cladding as an architectural feature.

I wonder why they haven't done us a favor and removed that garbage and restored the original. Maybe the store's not profitable enough to warrant the investment. I'm guessing they hadn't really even considered it.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the store. The proposed Wheeler rail junction being so nearby should make that a hot spot for developers.

Looking into the crystal ball in Houston usually means seeing a wrecking ball.

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We used to live on the corner Greely and S. Main. I remember my mom walking my brother and I to that Sears right up the road. Used to play with a kid named Billy up the street.

At one time there was an elementary school located on Greely and S. Main across the street from where we lived. It's since been torn down and HSPVA was built there.

That was Montrose Elementary.

Which house did you live in? I lived on the top floor of the gray 4-plex at 4009 Greeley in the early 90's when it was falling apart - vastly improved today.

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That was Montrose Elementary.

Which house did you live in? I lived on the top floor of the gray 4-plex at 4009 Greeley in the early 90's when it was falling apart - vastly improved today.

It's still standing. It's a two story house located in the SW quadrant of the two intersecting streets. When we lived there from 1966-1969, the floors were separted into two apartments. We lived upstairs and a woman and her daughter lived downstairs. Historically it was the first house on the block and one of the oldest standing homes in the city of Houston. There was an article pertaining to that very house in Better Homes and Gardens during the late 1970's or early 1980's. That's when I was exposed to the actual history of the house.

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Wondering about the cladding:

I wonder if the original concrete? stucco? walls had deteriorated (Hurricane Carla, maybe?) and the metal cladding was a cheaper alternative to redoing them? I can't think of another building that has that kind of cladding as an architectural feature.

Yes, good store, that Sears. I don't live there anymore, but when I did live in the area it was a very good (reasonable price, good quality) source for car stuff, clothes, photo studio services, things like that.

Marty

Alot of buildings along Postoffice Street in Galveston has there facades concreted over in the 60's

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Wondering about the cladding:

I wonder if the original concrete? stucco? walls had deteriorated (Hurricane Carla, maybe?) and the metal cladding was a cheaper alternative to redoing them? I can't think of another building that has that kind of cladding as an architectural feature.

Marty

Covering original building facades was quite the fad in the 1950s-1960s. In downtown, the Lamar and San Jacinto hotels were refaced, the lower floors of the C&I building were cladded, as were 806 Main (Carter Building), the West Building, Stowers Building, Chronicle, Kirby Building, and some smaller ones as well. All in the name of modernization.

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Covering original building facades was quite the fad in the 1950s-1960s. In downtown, the Lamar and San Jacinto hotels were refaced, the lower floors of the C&I building were cladded, as were 806 Main (Carter Building), the West Building, Stowers Building, Chronicle, Kirby Building, and some smaller ones as well. All in the name of modernization.

Sure. I know about the Galveston buildings and several of the ones mentioned here. But I thought all of those were stucco, concrete, or masonry refacings. I can't think of one with the industrial-looking painted corrugated steel. Or am I missing something obvious? (certainly possible :-))

Marty

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I went into the South Main Sears a few weeks ago for some hardware needs.

It's close by if you work downtown.

I asked the manager of the store why they don't have a Sears sign facing South Main.

I said "Some people think you're closed up because there's no sign"

The response I received was "We have no entrance on the west side" and

"We'll look into it, thank you for your suggestion"

The inside of Sears looked nice and fully stocked.

The sales staff were friendly.

I guess with the train now occupying most of South Main at Wheeler,

they feel the cost of a sign is a waste of money.

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Which house did you live in? I lived on the top floor of the gray 4-plex at 4009 Greeley in the early 90's when it was falling apart - vastly improved today.

Okay, my Dad said that he thinks the address is 4102 Greeley. It's a 2 story house on the southwest corner of the intersection. There was no garage - only a carport, and it was gray when we lived there.

It was not Better Homes & Gardens, it was Houston Home & Garden, issued June 1975. The article headline is "the last good-bye," by Peter Heyne. The former owner of the house was Freddie Koenig (female) who lived in the Montrose area for nearly 75 years. She owned the house we lived in and the house next door (where she lived).

At the time the house was built, the area (now Montrose) was actually outside of Houston City Limits. During the 1890's, her father had bought 6 lots and built a charming home on what later became the corner of Greeley and W. Main. According to Mrs. Koenig, developers subdivided Montrose about 1910 and, her father's residence (the house I used to live in) was the first house in the Montrose addition.

Where the former elementary shool was located (now HSPVA) was lovely and popular pond with fish. Mrs. Koenig said that it was surrounded by gum trees and you could hear frogs croaking at night. She said someone later filled the pond with dirt to build the school.

Now I am understanding why our electric refrigerator had a true ice box on the bottom of it. I wish I could have enjoyed the historical values of that place when I lived there as a kid. We moved from there in 1969.

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Boy, this is going to drive me nuts. We may have to go eat at the Black Lab tonight so I can get my bearings. Forgive me, but I'm directionally dyslexic. :blush:

620 West Main @ Greeley - white house with dormers; large front porch; iron fence all around property. Backs up to where I used to live; owned by two charming gentlemen who used to have little aviaries in the kitchen windows. Built 1910.

House across the street is 2-story duplex, but address is West Main - could this be it?

4104 Greeley @ W. Main- Robin's Nest Bed & Breakfast . Had many a convivial glass of wine on the beautiful wrap-around porch. Built 1898.

HSPVA is on the corner of W. Main & Greeley, but the front door is on Stanford.

Remaining addresses in the 4100 block of Greeley, going toward Richmond, are 4108, built around 1915, 4110, built in the 30's and 4114, built around 1910 at the corner of Greeley & Colquitt.

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4104 Greeley @ W. Main- Robin's Nest Bed & Breakfast . Had many a convivial glass of wine on the beautiful wrap-around porch. Built 1898.

That's it, that's the house my family lived in from 1966 to 1969. That's the same picture as the one in the article I mentioned. I will scan the article this weekend when I'm back in Texas. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading it!

Wow, a bed and breakfast now. That doesn't surprise me because the floors were separted at one point. Thanks a bunch!

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That doesn't surprise me because the floors were separted at one point.

I never knew that! I always thought it was occupied as a single dwelling. Now the whole history clicks. *smacks head* :wacko: It also seemed larger than two-story to me because of the wonderful huge attic. My husband helped Robin bring some stuff down once - it could easily become loft bedrooms.

I would LOVE to see the article! I wish I could still afford to live in the area (regardless, I'm glad to be in Oak Forest! :) No yards my size in Montrose.) . By the time I was in a position to buy a house, they were way out of my budget. I still remember the collective "ARRRGGGHHH!!" that went around the neighborhood in 1990 when the afore-mentioned house on the corner of Greeley & Colquitt and garage apartment went for SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND if I remember correctly because the estate wanted to sell it quickly! No one knew about it until a contract was already on it - sigh.

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I would LOVE to see the article! I wish I could still afford to live in the area (regardless, I'm glad to be in Oak Forest! :) No yards my size in Montrose.) . By the time I was in a position to buy a house, they were way out of my budget. I still remember the collective "ARRRGGGHHH!!" that went around the neighborhood in 1990 when the afore-mentioned house on the corner of Greeley & Colquitt and garage apartment went for SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND if I remember correctly because the estate wanted to sell it quickly! No one knew about it until a contract was already on it - sigh.

Ouch! Between 1983 and 1994, I lived in several different places that were all within a few blocks of the intersection of Montrose and Alabama. I often wish I'd been in a position to buy a house there back then. I remember leasing a nice 2BR bungalow on Graustark in 1985 or so for only $550/month - the same place now would easily lease for 3-4 times that, and the property value has almost certainly undergone a similar increase.

I occasionally miss living in Montrose, but it's not too far away if I want to go do something there, and the lot my house is on now would probably have four townhouses on it in Montrose. :)

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Sure. I know about the Galveston buildings and several of the ones mentioned here. But I thought all of those were stucco, concrete, or masonry refacings. I can't think of one with the industrial-looking painted corrugated steel. Or am I missing something obvious? (certainly possible :-))

Marty

Then yesterday I drove by the Shell Research Center on Holcombe/Bellaire. Same kind of metal cladding. :closedeyes: Oh well.

Marty

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If it hasn't been mentioned before, Roulande's photographic studio was also in the Delman strip. The terrazzo "R" remained on the sidewalk for years.

Too bad the "R" is gone. Thanks for letting me know where my childhood family portrait was taken. Its a great black and white photo. :)

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4104 Greeley @ W. Main- Robin's Nest Bed & Breakfast .

Found out why our address was 4102. Because the house was divided (at that time ) into 2 separate living quarters, the address for the lower section was 4104 Greeley and the address for the top section was 4102 Greeley.

I haven't scanned that article yet, but I will as soon as I get to my scanner.

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If it hasn't been mentioned before, Roulande's photographic studio was also in the Delman strip. The terrazzo "R" remained on the sidewalk for years.

A 1950-51 ad for Roulande's. The Delman's address was 4412 Main.

RoulandeAd-1951.jpg

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I would LOVE to see the article!

Okay, I know it took me forever! Here's the ariticle. This is from the June 1975 issue of the Houston Home & Garden magazine, costing $1.25. Hope you like it. It's a really nice feeling to know that I lived in this home and it served an important part of Montose Houston history. First house in Montrose is what it sounds like to me!

Montrose2.jpg

Montrose3.jpg

Montrose4.jpg

Montrose5.jpg

Montrose6.jpg

Montrose7.jpg

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It sure would've been a source of pride for some of us to have had both Sears restored and standing; one from the 20s and one from the 30s, thanks to mother nature's flood, with both showing classic designs from each of these architectural sub-eras, which now are both lumped into the "art deco" classification by many.

Should we start an online petition to have the cladding removed and the building restored? Long shot maybe but, if successful, would draw enough attention to the beauty of the original building to possibly stave off a wrecking ball death sentence as was imposed on her late, older sister.

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i have some trepidation about what it's like underneath now, though..._________

i stuck these two together, just to see:

searschange.jpg

I have some trepidation that your trepidation could be valid.

Comparing the two pics, it first looks like they removed part of the building when they remodeled. Not only because the drop in the roofline but, if you measure the height of those two front windows facing into the intersection, the height of the facade in the first pic is about 5X the height of those windows wheras in the 2nd pic it's only about 4X as high. Plus, one of the protruding, vertical sections with the 3 long windows is still evident beneath the cladding in the 2nd pic but the others appear to have been removed. Doesn't make sense though; why would they go through such trouble to remove part of a building and make it smaller, unless the building had structural problems? But it's hard to tell on the computer and also the right rear section in the 2nd pic looks higher than the original, so maybe they added height instead.

And, as Subdude says, what the heck were they thinking? I vaguely remember the time when the "art deco" style appeared simply old fashioned and not beautiful but there appears to be nothing attractive about the redo in this case, almost like it was done purely out of necessity.

This gives me a good reason to hit the microfiches in the library once it reopens to see what writeups in the Post or Chronicle at the time might reveal. Anyone know the rough date of the remuddle?

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The shots were taken from different angles. The "before" picture is from the northwest, looking south down Main. The "after" photo was taken from the southwest, looking north.

I'm guessing that the remodeling took place in the early 1960s, which was a high point for destroying old architecture in the name of "modernization".

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I would like to think that the original facade is still in good shape, since it has been protected from the elements.

i wonder if how the cladding was attached would be a problem - was it bolted on the old facade? would there be damage if taken off?

The shots were taken from different angles. The "before" picture is from the northwest, looking south down Main. The "after" photo was taken from the southwest, looking north.

good call on the angles - in the before picture on the far left, i can see the edge of the sears letters that must have matched on each side

_______

okay, now that i keep looking at it, there seems to be a flag and pole on the left side of each picture - at least that is what i think it may be

i wonder if there were flags on the other side, too, because they seem to match up pretty well in those two pictures...

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Went to that store today. It was really busy. The interior seems a bit dirty, but it still radiates a simple deco elegance in the stairwell. I also really liked the curved detail at the top of the columns; reminds me a bit of the columns in the Montrose Sears, but more refined. I suspect that the original terrazzo remains under all of that crummy looking linoleum and worn carpet. You can see pieces of it sticking out around the entrance on the east side. The interior and lighting would definitely benefit from a restoration of the windows and facade. It feels a bit "closed in" right now; all three floors feel like they are underground.

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I was here today buying a saw and had my camera. The building is tricky with the similar facades on the various corners. This view confirms that the original structure is still behind there. I walked around the building and the marble (granite?) is still in decent condition except for a few gouges.

The interior, as previously mentioned, was extensively remodeled and the only obvious traces of originality are the staircases and railings and I suppose the terrazoesque flooring near the entrances. The men's bathroom has some old sinks, which look to be late 50s/early 60s and probably date from the initial remodel.

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