Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building | |
 View facing south | |
    | |
| Location | 301 Main Street @ Congress Houston, Texas United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°45′43″N 95°21′38″W / 29.7620°N 95.3606°W |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | George E. Dickey |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002074 |
| RTHL No. | 10786 |
| TSAL No. | 335 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1978 |
| Designated RTHL | 1974 |
| Designated TSAL | 5/28/1981 |
The Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building is a late Victorian commercial building with a 3-story corner turret and Eastlake decorative elements that was designed by George E. Dickey in 1889. [1] The building is located at 301 Main Street in Houston, Texas and occupies the corner of Main Street and Congress Street in Downtown Houston. [1] The building is one of the few Victorian-style architectural structures that remains in the city. [2] The building received a "City of Houston Landmark" designation in 2009. The building is included in the National Register of Historic Places by virtue of being a conforming structure in the Main Street/Market Square Historic District. [3]
Location
The Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building shares a 75-year ground lease from Harris County and adjacent to the historic Pillot Building. [4] The building lies within the boundaries of Houston's Main Street/Market Square Historic District. Market Square, the namesake for the historic district, is just one block away on Congress Street. [2]
Purchase, Development, and Construction
Purchase
In 1882, John Jasper Sweeney and Edward L. Coombs commissioned the purchase of an 1861 building built by William A. Van Alstyne, the W.A. Van Alstyne Building. [1]
Construction
Historical records indicate that the W. A. Van Alstyne Building was set to be demolished and replaced by the Sweeney and Coombs structure. [1] Speculation remains as to whether the demolition of the W. A. Van Alstyne Building was ever completed; some theorists believe that the W. A. Van Alstyne Building was incorporated by renovation into the structure built by Sweeney and Coombs. [1]
Construction of the building was completed in 1887. [1]
Design
The building was designed by George E. Dickey and the style of the building reflects the Victorian Era of architecture. [1] Design elements included a 3-story corner turret and Eastlake decorative elements. [1] The decorative angled doors of the building are set facing the intersection of 220 Main Street. [4]
Renovations
The building underwent a modest renovation in 1968, which preserved the exposed brick walls and original hardwood floors. [4]
Ownership
Gus Fredericks joined the Sweeney and Coombs Jewelry firm before 1889. [1] The jewelry firm is still in business. [1]
In 1974, Harris County acquired the building through condemnation. [5]
The Environmental Practice Group of the Harris County Attorney’s Office occupies the 2nd floor and a portion of the County Auditor’s Office occupies the third.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building". Houston Architecture. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ a b "Historic Preservation Manual". City of Houston. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "Law Offices of Scott Arnold, P.C." www.scottarnoldpc.com. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c Cook, Lynn (September 21, 1998). "Downtown's Sweeney, Combs building sells to Houston group". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "Sweeney Building 1974 Deed" (PDF).
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