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Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by McGhiever (talk | contribs) at 22:19, 10 December 2015 (added Category:Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas using HotCat). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building
View facing south
Location301 Main Street
@ Congress
Houston, Texas
United States
Built1889
ArchitectGeorge E. Dickey
Architectural styleVictorian
NRHP reference No.74002074
Added to NRHPJune 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sweeney, Coombs and Fredericks Building". Houston Architecture. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Historic Preservation Manual". City of Houston. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cook, Lynn (September 21, 1998). "Downtown's Sweeney, Combs building sells to Houston group". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved December 15, 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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