Preservation Houston has requested official consulting status from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the Houston Airport System's proposed demolition of George Bush Intercontinental Airport's original West Airport Traffic Control Tower (1966), which was designed by I.M Pei & Associates. Pei later designed Houston's Texas Commerce Tower (now JPMorgan Chase Tower) and Texas Commerce Center (now Chase Center), its parking garage.
Historic Heights waterworks available for redevelopment
The City of Houston has placed the historic Heights waterworks on the market. The two-acre site between West 19th and West 20th streets at Nicholson contains a 750,000-gallon brick reservoir building from 1928 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a 1939 Art Deco pumping station built by the Works Progress Administration and a 1949 pumping station. The property anchors the west end of the shopping district along West 19th Street, the main commercial street in Houston Heights, which is experiencing significant retail redevelopment.
2016 Good Brick Tour in photos
Five award-winning historic homes opened their doors during Preservation Houston's 2016 Good Brick Tour on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1. Tourgoers had the chance to visit and learn the stories behind a variety of homes, from an 1872 Carpenter Gothic cottage in the Old Sixth Ward to a 1953 modern home in Ayrshire.
Big thanks to everyone who joined us for this special weekend, the homeowners who participated in the tour and the more than 150 volunteers who made it all work!
Protected landmark designation for Mecom Fountain moves forward
The City of Houston is proceeding with its designation of the Mecom Fountain as a protected historic landmark. Architect Eugene Werlin designed the fountain, which was built in 1964 in the traffic circle where Montrose Boulevard meets Main Street at the entrance to Hermann Park. Houston oilman John Mecom funded the project after he bought the former Warwick Hotel (now Hotel ZaZa) across the street from the fountain's site.