Savoy Apartments/Hotel At 1616 Main St.

[The Voice of University Oaks]

My old office at 1201 Louisiana faced the Sheraton. There really isn't much to see in there; as others have said, it's been completely gutted.

It's also quite leaky. Everytime a storm blew through downtown you could see big puddles form on all of the floors.

[Montrose1100]

Our offices at Louisiana Place faced down Louisiana Street... and the Sheraton, but I never actually thought too much of it when we where in that office.

[torvald]

See, I'm involved in this little informal contest to squat the tallest building possible. I'm still the winner with the Savoy at 17 stories, but I need to beat my own record.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

does anyone know whatever happened to this guy?

does he still post here? maybe under a new handle?

thanks.

[Dream]

In the last post from Squatter Kid he said, "he was off to the Bay Area for the Winter." That was back in Novemeber. He said he was coming back to Htown in Jan. He's either locked up or traveling the country. Who knows? I'm looking forward to his return. I believe he is still the "man to beat" as far as getting into the tallest empty buildings in Houston.

Dream

[zaphod]

whats with downtown and creepy 50's style high rise abandoned hotels anyway?

[RedScare]

Back in the '80s, the Savoy was used as housing for South Texas College of Law students. I don't think the school was associated with the building. The building was called The Barrister Club. I think there was a bar on the first floor as well, but I am not sure. I bartended to get through law school, and much of 1984-1986, is a blur. At any rate, not much redesign was done. They just rented the old hotel rooms to STCL students looking for cheap rent and no transportation. Don't know when it closed. I left after 1986.

[torvald]

whats with downtown and creepy 50's style high rise abandoned hotels anyway?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

they are absolutely awesome! I would love any stories about the savoy (or the central square building, for that matter) either as a forum or member message post. please & thanks.

[Subdude]

Back in the '80s, the Savoy was used as housing for South Texas College of Law students.  I don't think the school was associated with the building.  The building was called The Barrister Club.  I think there was a bar on the first floor as well, but I am not sure.  I bartended to get through law school, and much of 1984-1986, is a blur.  At any rate, not much redesign was done.  They just rented the old hotel rooms to STCL students looking for cheap rent and no transportation.  Don't know when it closed.  I left after 1986.

I think the bar was the Barrister Club. The sign is still outside. The building was just the Savoy. It closed in the late 1980s.

[Subdude]

The Savoy before:

[Sambone]

Hello -

I'm new here, and excited to know that others look at old buildings with the same curiosity as me. This may have been discussed previously, but anyone have any info on the Plaza on Montrose (history, etc.)? thanks

[Subdude]

Hello -

I'm new here, and excited to know that others look at old buildings with the same curiosity as me.  This may have been discussed previously, but anyone have any info on the Plaza on Montrose (history, etc.)?  thanks

You've come to the right place.

The Plaza was the first combination hotel-apartment building in the city. It opened in early 1926 and the architect was Joseph Finger. Since it was designed as a luxury residence, the rooms included refrigerators and an early cooling system, which was rare back then. Most apartments and hotels at the time were

[Subdude]

You've been in all of those? Great! I'm jealous! What will your website have on it?

The only ones I have been in were the old Sheraton and the Texas State Hotel.

[squatterkid]

Hi folks. I'm back. In Houston, and on this forum. Didn't know there was still so much interest in this stuff. Let's see...

My girlfriend got an apartment so I don't have to live in empty buildings anymore, at least in Houston anyways.

The Central Square seems to have changed ownership again. Watercolor drawing of what they hope to have happen in the area. I'll believe it when I see it. That area just seems destined to forever fail. That donut shop changes hands every so often, the Thai place is never open, the 50's Diner that looks like an Airstream trailer (who's idea was that?) just down the street speaks for itself. More and more people have gotten into the building. Just smash a window on the ground floor and go for it. Never my style. But the owners are silly, instead of boarding the whole bottom floor up, they just board up whichever window got smashed.

I spent some time in Detroit last month. Possibly the only place with more empty actual skyscrapers than houston. I got into one, the Fort Shelby Hotel. Completely wrecked but still interesting.

I dunno, pretty boring town.....

kid

[MidtownCoog]

there is a new fence up at the central square swimming pool

(the swimmig pool is the underground parking garage after Allison)

[Dream]

Welcome back SquatterKid. How was winter in the bay area?

Dream

[sevfiv]

there is a new fence up at the central square swimming pool

(the swimmig pool is the underground parking garage after Allison)

yes - it is chain link and wood-framed and has casters for easy opening and closing at the entryways

[squatterkid]

Yeah, the people who "secure" buildings aren't always that great at what they do. Look at the two new murals on the Wast side of the building for proof. Spoke and whoever didn't have a tough time getting in.

Luckily (or unluckily, depending upon how you look at it) for the owners, there isn't a scrap piece of metal left in the building worth salvaging. Scrappers got every bit of copper plumbing, wire and aluminum that was possible. Crackheads, among other things, are efficient.

I'm really still curious about the Days Inn. A couple years ago, some friends and I went in to have a look, despite the signs outside saying that tresspassing was a felony. (What, is it a government historical site or something? Ha.) We we're greeted by a fellow who was the "caretaker" and said that he had the day shift and another fellow had the night shift, and if we came back at night he would give us a tour.

This intrigues me because I would love to have a position like that. I do miss living in a 17 story building with a few friends. We used to slide down the laundry chute at the Savoy. We filled one room with mattresses and had a bouncy wall room. At any rate. I'd be perfect for the job. I've vowed to never again pay rent. And being the type of person that gets into buildings, I'm perfect for keeping other people out. Not to be exclusive and proprietary, but I don't agree with gutting a building of all of it's usuable copper plumbing and electrical wiring, rendering the building almost beyond repair. That's dumb. Unless the owner of said building is a rich jerk...

Well, I'm only around for a few days, headed up to NYC. No abandoned skyscrapers there...

[sevfiv]

I'm really still curious about the Days Inn. A couple years ago, some friends and I went in to have a look, despite the signs outside saying that tresspassing was a felony. (What, is it a government historical site or something? Ha.) We we're greeted by a fellow who was the "caretaker" and said that he had the day shift and another fellow had the night shift, and if we came back at night he would give us a tour.

i would doubt there are still caretakers at the days inn - although i would love to get a tour. where did you run in to the caretaker?

[YakuzaIce]

i would doubt there are still caretakers at the days inn - although i would love to get a tour.  where did you run in to the caretaker?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unless they are just people who live there posing as caretakers. But since there are plans to begin renovation next year maybe there is a real caretaker now. I wonder how much longer people will be able to get into the days inn, before I believe landco's the one doing it starts cleaning it out.

[sevfiv]

The old savoy apartments, which is the building behind the taller hotel (and connected by an upper level courtyard) is in complete ruin on the inside, and reinforced on the outside...most of the building has no flooring, and about half of the roof is off.  What could be the prognosis for this building? will it fall on itself anytime soon?

here are some pictures: savoy

and here is an example of the outside:

[dbigtex56]

Just have to market it right. No floors or roof?

"Airy, soaring space"

edit:

That shot of the demolished bathroom is amazing! How did you rig the lighting?

[sevfiv]

it was a little tricky - there is a fire escape on the western side of the building and one of the fire doors was open...the thing was, once you open the door, there was nothing...that and you're on a wobbly fire escape about five or six floors up...

at this point, i can't handle things like that (vertigo-like issues) so my very brave friend hopped on, peeked in the door and took a few fast pictures with my camera (i had forgotten but now have added a credit to him!).

the lighting was not an issue since there was no roof! haha

and i am *trying* to work on the height issue i have...baby-steps!

[dbigtex56]

at this point, i can't handle things like that (vertigo-like issues) ....and i am *trying* to work on the height issue i have...baby-steps!

Just repeat to yourself: "Margaret Bourke-White...Margaret Bourke-White...."

I empathize...even standing up straight is scary for me!

[jdbaker]

Having recently purchased a unit at the Beaconsfield, I'm very intrigued By the Savoy. Built within a few years of one another and located within a few blocks from one another, the Savoy looks to be the Beaconsfield's abandoned twin. For those of you who are not familiar with the Beaconsfield this would mean 11ft ceilings, fireplaces in every apartment, huge windows on three sides of every unit. All of this leaves me wondering why there is so little interest in the Savoy? Additionally, I'm hoping someone here might know a little about the history of this building, as I've been unable to find anything. Thanks.

[Subdude]

The Savoy was built in 1906 and was Houston's first residential highrise. When it was built it featured electricity, steam heat, dumbwaiters to the basement in each apartment, a unique building-wide refrigeration system, and a roof terrace. It went downhill over time and in the 1950s it became a boarding house. In the 1960s it was purchased by Allen Field as part of a planned office-hotel-apartment complex called the Savoy-Field. The offices were never built, but the hotel wing was opened in 1966. The apartments in the original building closed in 1976, and the hotel closed for good in about 1988 after being used for South Texas College of Law Students (hence the Barrister Club on the ground floor). Until recently there were brass "S-F" plaques embedded in the sidewalk.

Original Sayoy

Savoy-Field rendering

[jdbaker]

The Savoy was built in 1906 and was Houston's first residential highrise. When it was built it featured electricity, steam heat, dumbwaiters to the basement in each apartment, a unique building-wide refrigeration system, and a roof terrace. It went downhill over time and in the 1950s it became a boarding house. In the 1960s it was purchased by Allen Field as part of a planned office-hotel-apartment complex called the Savoy-Field. The offices were never built, but the hotel wing was opened in 1966. The apartments in the original building closed in 1976, and the hotel closed for good in about 1988 after being used for South Texas College of Law Students (hence the Barrister Club on the ground floor). Until recently there were brass "S-F" plaques embedded in the sidewalk.

Original Sayoy

Savoy-Field rendering

Thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for.

[sevfiv]

the savoy field plaques were neat - i wish they had let em be:

i have more pictures here

i am scanning a brochure as i type

[sevfiv]

the brochure was for the "new" savoy, but it refers to the original in a nostalgic sort of way

Houston's historic Savoy had its beginning in the era of gaslights and carriages when raw-boned young Houston developed the need for a superb apartment hotel or the carriage trade. The original structure still stands with its spacious rooms of Victorian elegance, Houston's first public building to be electrified.

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oddly enough, the rendering with the third building (not in existence) is included on the brochure, too

[Subdude]

Thanks sev! I am in awe of your collection!

[jfre81]

The sooner the Days Inn falls into the center of the earth, the better.

But the Savoy...I don't know. I might be the only person who says this but I kinda like the building (the new one). It's like a monument to the old 1960s oil wildcatter era in Houston. If left standing (and perhaps restored) I wonder how a building like that would be looked upon 50 years from now when there wouldn't likely be much else from that era left standing given this city's track record.

I don't think it would work out as residential but couldn't it get fixed up into office space or something?

As for the old building....I dare say it's toast. Another case of historic neglect in Houston.

The most likely development I see with this decrepit block is a Main@Leeland red light camera embedded into that concrete head.

I'd like to see photos of the actual interior of the new building....too bad squatterkid's apparently not in there to give me a guided tour