Finnigan Building At 805 Main St.

[Highrise Tower]

wow!! A rare Alfred C. Finn building that I never knew about. Great find here.

From the newspaper The Houston Post dated May 24, 1914.

The Proposed Finnigan Building on Main Street

Edit: This would have been at 805 Main Street.  Built in 1914 and renovated in 1955.

Located in the most commanding position on the southeast corner of Main street and Rusk avenue will be erected the new Finnigan building, the property of the John Finnigan estate. The building will cost approximately $90,000.

This magnificent new structure will front 100 feet each way on Main street and Rusk avenue, and will be erected to supply he demand for the housing of the highest grade stores, in a building of unusual attractive architectural merit.

The exterior of the building, as in shown in the above illustration, will be constructed of polished Georgia gray granite base, columns and carved granite capitols, and the entire remainder of the building in gray granite terra cotta. The second story spandrils and main tablature of the building will be embellished in a beautiful modeled designs, which is a triumph of architectural art.

The display windows on the two street fronts will have statuary bronze finished framing and paneled oak background.

The entire first and second floors have been arranged for stores and show rooms, with passenger elevators running from first to second floor, and every modern convenience known to the present-day.

Building construction incorporated. Light, ventilation and heating have been mostly carefully considered and made a highly desirable feature throughout the building.

Ground will be broken about June 6, and the building will be ready for occupancy about November 1.

Plans for this new structure were drawn by Alfred C. Finn, architect, with offices in the Woodworth building.

[EspersonBuildings]

I believe this building lasted all the way through the first decade of the 21st century.  811 Main now occupies the site, completed in 2011.   It was in pretty bad shape before being demolished (along with the Montague Hotel) and housed a convenience/dollar store facing Main and a few shabby shops facing Rusk, all pretty seedy.  In fact, that strip of Rusk (between Main and Fannin) was pretty much decaying towards the end.  It always reminded me of a slice of Manhattan.  I think the Rusk side housed a fancy nightclub in the 1930's/40's.  

[Highrise Tower]

A little confused with this one.  The Finnigan Building was located on Main and Rusk.

In 2024, there is Finn Hall located on the corner.  Did Jesse H. Jones demolish the Finnigan Building to build The Gulf Building? 

In 1916, there was a club located inside this building called University Club. Here's a sketch by William Ward Watkin of the Palm Court room of the club.

 William W. Watkin was a charter member of the University Club.

 

 

Finn Hall, a photo I took today.

 

[EspersonBuildings]

The Finnigan Building was located at the SOUTHEAST corner of Main and Rusk.  The Gulf Building (now The JPMorgan Chase Bank Building, where Finn Hall is) is located at the NORTHWEST corner of Main and Rusk.

Edited August 11 by EspersonBuildings
clarification