The restoration work involved retaining and recreating many of the building’s historic features, including sheet-metal trim, pine flooring, wood-framed windows and millwork and — of course — two fireman’s poles. A new addition is partly faced in the same Cedar Bayou brick as the 1903 building. The finished product is a wonderful example of how a turn-of-the-century building can find new life while keeping its historic character.

Learn more about the history of the building and the restoration at www.firestation6.com. (Be sure to check out the Fire Station No. 6 T-shirts for sale — a portion of sales benefits the  Houston Fire Museum.)

Fire Station No. 6 (1903). Photos by Jim Parsons.

On Monday, March 19, Preservation Houston will be in its new office at 3272 Westheimer Road, Suite 2, in the historic Lamar-River Oaks Building. The new contact information will be (713) 510-3990 and contact@preservationhouston.org. Preservation Houston is also in the process of upgrading its website. The new web address is www.preservationhouston.org.

The new name better reflects the organization’s current work.

“When GHPA was incorporated in 1978, Houston did not have a historic preservation ordinance, there were no historic districts and no local landmarks. Everyone had to work to get the fundamental tools in place,” said Preservation Houston Executive Director Ramona Davis. “Now our work is much more nuanced. The interests of the Old Sixth Ward Historic District are not necessarily the same as the Broadacres Historic District.”

“We’ll still form partnerships with other groups, but it’s going to be based on the specific project or program,” Davis said. “Of course, issues like the Alabama Theater and the Astrodome will always require broad-based grassroots support.”

With the new name comes a new image. Preservation Houston’s logo (above) incorporates a traditional key to reflect the organization’s efforts to preserve historic architecture. A leaf element represents preservation’s role in conserving resources by encouraging reuse rather than demolition.

GHPA has been in its current office in the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Building downtown since 1987. The move was precipitated when Chase Bank sold the historic building that many Houstonians know as the Gulf Building.

“We’ll always be grateful to Chase Bank and its predecessor, Texas Commerce Bank, for generously donating GHPA’s office space for more than 20 years,” Davis said. “It’s going to feel strange not coming here, but change is good. We have a new name, a new look and a new home.”

Find Preservation Houston at:
www.preservationhouston.org
facebook.com/preservationhouston
twitter.com/preshou

Lamar-River Oaks Building (1948, Raymond H. Brogniez). Photo by Jim Parsons.

Kenneth Franzheim designed the 18-story skyscraper, which was completed in 1952. In recent years, the property was known as Houston Main Building and included offices and classrooms.

A massive mural by noted artist Peter Hurd has been removed from the building’s lobby and will eventually go on display in New Mexico. It is not clear how much, if any, of the other building materials have been salvaged. The building was a model for Prudential offices around the country and featured exceptional finishes including Loredo Chiaro marble from Italy, guanacaste wood from Central America and okoume wood from Africa.

Project director John Chachere told the MD Anderson employee newsletter, “It’ll take about 4,000 dump truck loads to get all the debris off the site.” Removal is expected to continue through April.

In 1987, Texas Medical Center, Inc. demolished the Shamrock Hotel (1949) at Main and Holcombe. The site has been used primarily as a parking lot since then.

A few photos of the Prudential Building, taken in 2003 by Karen Lantz, AIA, are below.

Prudential Building (1952) in 2003. Photos by Karen Lantz, AIA.

GHPA had contacted the architect and the developer about preserving the theater’s interior before the murals were removed and has offered its assistance as the project goes forward. GHPA regularly provides research assistance for developers and individual property owners who are planning projects involving historic buildings.

On Veterans Day, Weingarten Realty sent out a news release about construction under way at the Alabama describing the work as “interior upgrades.” The last sentence of the release noted that the company had removed the murals, shown below, that flanked the movie screen.

The company’s release incorrectly stated that the murals were not original to the theater. GHPA has documented that the murals were a significant component of the theater’s original interior design. GHPA contacted Judith Urrutia, lead architect for the 1983 conversion of the theater into Bookstop, who confirmed that the murals were original.

On November 2, 1939, the day the theater opened, both the Houston Post and Houston Chronicle carried stories about the theater that described the interior and mentioned the murals. A historic photo of the Alabama’s interior in the Bob Bailey archive of the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas clearly shows the murals in place. A similar photo dated 1946 in the archive of the Dallas Public Library also shows the murals in place.

The Weingarten release stated that a structural issue required removal of the proscenium wall. Movie theater murals were usually painted on canvas and applied to the walls; the question of whether the Alabama murals could have been removed, preserved and reinstalled is now moot. GHPA has suggested the murals be recreated or that interpretive signage illustrating the theater’s interior be installed when a new tenant occupies the space.

Although the Alabama Theater is a designated City of Houston landmark, Houston’s preservation ordinance does not protect interiors. Weingarten Senior Director Brooke J. Harvey was quoted in the release saying the company “… is preparing the space to make it viable for retailers.” No mention was made of the Trader Joe’s grocery chain as a potential tenant.

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance thanks David Welling, author of Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex, for his assistance in researching this matter.

Alabama Theater (1939) interior in 2011, top, and 2008. Photos by Jim Parsons.

If the original proposals are carried out, the project will have significant impact on several historic neighborhoods, including the Woodland Heights Historic District, Near Northside National Register District and the Grota Homestead addition, which Texas Historical Commission has determined is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

TxDOT has scheduled two public meetings about the project:

• Tuesday, November 15, 6-8 p.m., Jefferson Davis High School, 1101 Quitman Street.
• Thursday, November 17, 6-8 p.m., Aldine High School, 11101 Airline Drive.

Both meetings will have an “open house” format; attendees may come and go during the program. TxDOT will show a 10-minute informational video about the project, maps of the impacted areas will be displayed and TxDOT representatives will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information, please visit the I-45 Coalition’s Facebook page.

The architect for the project contacted the state agency this morning. An accessibility consultant has determined that replacing the theater’s non-historic, single swinging doors with a set of double-width, automatic sliding doors will comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) without removing the terrazzo. No variances will be necessary for this work. The store’s ADA/TAS-compliant main entrance will be in the 1990s addition that opens onto the large parking lot at the rear of the building.

GHPA welcomes the possibility of a new use for the Alabama. The historic Art Deco theater is being considered as a potential location for Trader Joe’s, a specialty grocer. The California-based company has carried out quality rehabilitations of historic buildings for its stores in other cities. The Houston project is still in the design phase. Trader Joe’s has not yet signed a lease on the property.

GHPA thanks Texas Historical Commission for its quick response in this matter.

Terrazzo design, Alabama Theater (1939). Photo by David Bush.

Texas Historical Commission (THC) has offered an alternative that would preserve the original terrazzo at the entrance to Houston’s historic Alabama Theater (1939) if a proposed renovation of the building is carried out. GHPA contacted the state agency after the developer’s representative told Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission that the terrazzo would have to be removed to meet provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At GHPA’s request, THC has contacted the developer, Houston’s Weingarten Realty, and the project architect in Dallas to explain how the project can meet ADA Accessibility Guidelines and Texas Accessibility Standards while preserving the terrazzo.

The Art Deco theater at 2922 S. Shepherd Drive is being considered as a potential location for Trader Joe’s, a specialty grocer. GHPA applauds the adaptive re-use of the building, but is concerned about the proposed removal of one the theater’s original murals as well as the terrazzo.

GHPA encourages its supporters to contact Weingarten Realty and Trader Joe’s to welcome the grocer to Houston and encourage both firms to preserve the Alabama’s historic murals, terrazzo and other significant design elements. Contact information and a sample letter follow:

Contact information

Mr. Dan Bane
Chairman & CEO
Trader Joe’s
800 South Shamrock Avenue
Monrovia, California 70106
dbane@traderjoes.com

Mr. Kenny Simmons
Senior Construction Manager
Weingarten Realty Investors
P.O. Box 924133
Houston, Texas 77292-4133

Sample letter

Dear Mr. SURNAME:

I was very happy to hear that Trader Joe’s may be opening in Houston and that the store might occupy the historic Alabama Theater. Houstonians care a great deal about this building.

While I am glad to see that your company has found a viable new use for the Alabama, I am concerned about preliminary plans that call for the removal of the original terrazzo at the building’s entrance and one of the murals inside the theater.

I strongly encourage you to preserve all of the significant historic elements of the theater and look forward to visiting Trader Joe’s in the renovated Alabama Theater.

Sincerely,

NAME
MAILING ADDRESS

Alabama Theater (1939, W. Scott Dunne). Exterior and mural photos by Jim Parsons; terrazzo design photo by David Bush.

The plan also includes moving the South Shepherd entrance forward and removing some original enameled panels and poster frames. More problematic is the planned removal of the original terrazzo at the theater’s entrance (right). Houston Planning Director Marlene Gafrick explained that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires the slope at building entrances be no more than 2 percent; the slope of the terrazzo is 2.5 percent.

HAHC members Doug Elliot and Maverick Welsh questioned the loss of historic design elements and Welsh asked about re-installing or replicating the terrazzo. Kenny Simmons with Weingarten Realty said the current plan called for replacing the terrazzo with concrete, but that issue could be revisited.

Welsh also asked about changes to the interior. The answers were both encouraging and disappointing.

The mezzanine and lighting will remain with some modifications, but one of the murals (left) is slated for removal. Simmons and project architect Don Sopranzi said they would try to address HAHC’s concerns about retaining the mural.

Houston’s preservation ordinance does not regulate changes to the interiors of local landmarks, so HAHC’s approval is not required for alterations inside the theater. Simmons and Sopranzi emphasized that the project is still in the design phase. Trader Joe’s has not yet signed a lease and has not officially announced a store will open here.

Texas Historical Commission and Preservation Texas have joined GHPA in contacting Trader Joe’s to thank the company for working to preserve the Alabama and encouraging them to retain the theater’s historic design elements.

Alabama Theater (1939, W. Scott Dunne). Exterior and mural photos by Jim Parsons; terrazzo design photo by David Bush.

A few photos of the restored courthouse are below.

Exterior restoration included the reconstruction of monumental staircases on the Fannin and San Jacinto street sides of the courthouse.

Part of the interior restoration involved re-opening the building’s rotunda, which had been floored over in the 1950s. Though no drawings or photos of the original stained glass skylight were found, the design is based on similar pieces of the period. Colors are based on those found in the floor tiles of the courthouse. Replacement Creole marble for the rotunda walls came from the same Georgia quarry that supplied the stone in 1910.

Two of the building’s original courtrooms were restored. In the north courtroom, patterns on the bow-front balcony were recreated using old photographs.

A pair of staircases on the east side of the building retain much of their original ironwork, wooden handrails and marble treads. Casts of the original metalwork were used to create replacements where they were needed.

Elaborate plasterwork throughout the building, including this detail on a hallway pilaster, was restored or recreated. Much of the original ornamentation in the building had been destroyed or hidden during renovations through the years.

The elaborate pargework ceiling in this sixth floor corridor was recreated based on a 4-by-5-foot section uncovered during the early phases of the restoration project.

 Harris County Courthouse (1910, Lang & Witchell). Photos by Jim Parsons.

Major remodeling in the 1950s substantially altered the building’s original appearance. The current project included rebuilding the massive granite staircases leading to the Fannin Street and San Jacinto Street entrances, reopening the rotunda and recreating the stained glass dome. The restored building will provide courtrooms and chambers for the judges of the 1st and 14th Texas Courts of Civil Appeals.

Harris County received partial funding for the project from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program administered by Texas Historical Commission (THC). Governor George W. Bush first proposed the project in 1997 and the Texas Legislature allocated funding in 1999. Since then, THC staff members have assisted in the preservation of 82 historic Texas county courthouses, including the Harris County Courthouse.

The 1910 Harris County Courthouse is located on Fannin Street between Preston and Congress. Very limited metered parking is available on surrounding streets. Paid parking is available in nearby garages and surface lots. The courthouse is a short walk from MetroRail’s Preston Station.

Harris County Courthouse (1910, Lang & Witchell). Photo by David Bush.