Houston's Oldest Businesses

[e streeter]

i couldn't find out the exact date, except more than 70 years, but moeller's bakery which is now on bellaire boulevard. it was originally in the village and had the best crumb cake. used to get my doll birthday cakes there as a kid. family favorites are the ginger bread men and dinosaurs.

[NenaE]

I noticed this ad recently in an old yearbook. I was curious if Sweeney's was still in business, so I did a little research and found that they are, but under the name of Sweeney & Co Jewelers. While looking, I also found some other interesting tidbits surrounding Sweeney's...

They were originally housed here, when they first went into business.

It appears they occupied several locations downtown before settling into their final location in that area as noted on the ad above.

A picture of that location in 1929 is shown in this publication by Story Sloane of Sloane Gallery...

I'm not sure, but I think they vacated there in the mid-50's.

Here is something else I came across... This old clock was built in 1908 and placed in front of the J. J. Sweeney Jewelry store where they were located then at 409 Main Street. It remained in front of the store from 1908-1928, where it was also used as a hitching post for horse drawn carriages.

Donated by the store to the City of Houston in 1929, the clock was moved to the downtown Farmer's Market and later to the courtyard of a municipal building near the Jefferson Davis Hospital.

By 1968 the clock had deteriorated badly. It was restored and moved to its present location, the Sweeney triangle in 1971 with funds provided by the Colonial Dames of America. A base for the 15-foot timepiece was made using paving bricks from historic Navigation Street."

Present location in the park bounded by Capitol, Rusk and Bagby.

I think most, if not all the jewelry stores in early Houston, were family owned/operated and gradually succumbed to the larger wholesale jewelry operations. Some that I remember from the 50's, besides Sweeney's, were Corrigan's, Lechenger's, and Gordon's.

That "Sweeney" typesetting is really nice. Believe I saw a pic last night in one of my books, or on the Bob Bailey collection site that has that same lettering, may have been in neon.

I remember Reiners Jewelry store, not in business now. It was located by that old bank Akeem bought. Was a family jewelry business, as well. Was there for many years.

Edited February 20, 2009 by NenaE

[Absinthe_1900]

G & G Hobby shop has been around for many years.

[Shamrock1949]

Houston Jewelry is a member of the Jewelers of America JA100 Club, for jewelers that are over 100 years old. Houston Jewelry was also awarded a "Texas Treasure Award" from the Texas Historical Commission in September 2008. The establishment date the Commission went with is 1866. The family store started as Ephraim & Rosenfield in the 1860's on Main Street, listed in the 1866 Houston City Directory as "Third Door from Perkins Corner". In 1953 the family turned the focus to primarily jewelry as Houston Wholesale Jewelers at Main & Rusk, and in the 60's enlarged it as Houston Jewelry & Distributing Company, by the 90's it transformed back into a jewelry & gift store, Houston Jewelry.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Shamrock1949

[Shamrock1949]

That "Sweeney" typesetting is really nice. Believe I saw a pic last night in one of my books, or on the Bob Bailey collection site that has that same lettering, may have been in neon.

I remember Reiners Jewelry store, not in business now. It was located by that old bank Akeem bought. Was a family jewelry business, as well. Was there for many years.

Reiner's Jewelry is very much still in business, they moved out of downtown in the late 80's early 90's to an old house on Westheimer just east of Kirby on the North side of the street.

[Shamrock1949]

That "Sweeney" typesetting is really nice. Believe I saw a pic last night in one of my books, or on the Bob Bailey collection site that has that same lettering, may have been in neon.

I remember Reiners Jewelry store, not in business now. It was located by that old bank Akeem bought. Was a family jewelry business, as well. Was there for many years.

Sweeney's was acquired by the larger Houston based family jewelry chain, Gordon's Jewelers in the 50's or 60's as their guild division. The Gordon family sold out to the Dallas based Zales Jewelry company in the late 80's early 90's. In the Late 90's Zales decided to cut marketing expenses and consolidate all their guidl division stores into one brand, and they chose the oldest brand, Bailey, Banks & Biddle. The two old Houston Brands, Corrigan's & Sweeny's disappeared. In late 2006 Zales sold that division to Finley Jewelry company.