Market Square was once the beating heart of Houston — home to the public market and city hall in the early 1840s and a hub of commercial and civic life for nearly a century. Early merchants and entrepreneurs built businesses nearby, drawn by proximity to Courthouse Square and the port at Allen’s Landing. As the city grew, the port shifted, the business district pushed south and civic functions moved elsewhere, leaving Market Square behind. By the postwar years, the neighborhood had declined into a patchwork of derelict buildings and empty lots.
That changed in the late 1980s and 1990s thanks to preservation advocates like Minnette Boesel. As founding director of the Market Square Historic District Project, she led the effort to secure National Register designation, encouraged investment in historic buildings and laid the groundwork for the revitalization that followed, including renewed interest in the square itself and its transformation into an urban park. Those efforts helped spark the neighborhood’s evolution into today’s vibrant district of loft residences, boutique hotels, restaurants, bars and offices.
On Tuesday, October 7, Minnette will share the story of Market Square’s rebirth through first-hand experiences, rare photographs and a preservationist’s perspective on saving one of Houston’s most important historic neighborhoods. This special program is a joint presentation of Preservation Houston and The Heritage Society.
The evening begins with a wine-and-cheese reception at 6 p.m. at The Heritage Society Museum, 1100 Bagby Street, where you can explore Coastal Cowboys, an exhibition celebrating the working cowboys of the Texas Gulf Coast. Minnette’s talk begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by Q&A.
Location and admission
Admission is free for members of Preservation Houston and The Heritage Society; $10 for non-members. The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park is located at 1100 Bagby Street. Free parking is at 212 Dallas Street. Paid parking is at 1200 Bagby Street.
About the speaker
Minnette Boesel holds degrees in art history and historic preservation and has worked with preservation organizations across the country. She was founding director of the Market Square Historic District Project and later led her own firm specializing in saving and repurposing historic buildings. A former president of both Preservation Houston and The Heritage Society, Boesel has been active in preservation efforts across the city for decades. She also served as director of the City of Houston’s Office of Cultural Affairs from 2008 to 2015 and has held leadership and board roles with numerous preservation, arts and civic organizations.