Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building
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Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building | |
 | |
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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°WCoordinates: 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 # | 74002074 |
| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1978 |
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 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Location
The Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building shares a 75-year ground lease from Harris County and adjacent to the historic Pillot Building.[3] 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.[3]
Renovations
The building underwent a modest renovation in 1968, which preserved the exposed brick walls and original hardwood floors.[3]
Ownership
Gus Fredericks joined the Sweeney and Coombs Jewelry firm before 1889.[1]
In 1998, the building was purchased by Houston criminal lawyer Robert Scardino, retired businessman Joe Scardino and real estate attorney Tim Horan Jr.[3] Horan stated that "the Sweeney, Combs is the oldest continuously occupied building in town," referring to the building which was, at the time, 135 years old.[3]
The jewelry firm is still in business.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building". Houston Architecture. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- 1 2 "Historic Preservation Manual". City of Houston. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Cook, Lynn (September 21, 1998). "Downtown's Sweeney, Combs building sells to Houston group". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
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