HOUSTON — Houston added to its collection of historic landmarks when city council approved five buildings be granted landmark designation.
Property owners can submit a proposal to have their building designated as a "landmark" or "protected landmark."
Landmarks require property owners to follow the Houston Historic Preservation Ordinance when designing, altering or maintaining the building. Protected landmarks can be protected from demolition. Owners of landmarks and protected landmarks also get tax incentives.
There are 307 landmarks and 182 protected landmarks in the City of Houston.
Four protected landmarks and one landmark earned designation at a Houston City Council meeting on Dec. 11.
Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Johnston House
7 Shadow Lawn Street
Built in 1928, the home is two stories and 6,043 square feet. It is constructed of red brick in the Shadow Lawn Historic District. The home was designed by architect Vance D. Phenix. It was originally owned by Dr. Robert A. Johnston (1895-1972), a prominent OB-GYN, and Marie Hogg Johnston (1900-1970). The couple lived there for nearly 50 years.
Swift and Company Packing Plant
612 Waverly Street
The pictured building was built in 1953 and 1954 and later operated as the Swift & Co. Packing Plant. A building in the rear was built in 1917 as a cottonseed oil refinery. The meatpacking plant was the largest in the South, processing 1 million pounds of meat weekly. It closed in the 1970s.
The John S. Stewart House
109 Stratford Street
Built in 1910, the main house is a protected landmark, but there is a garage apartment and another structure on the premises. The house was built by Harry S. Tschopik and designed by architect George H. Fruehling. John S. Stewart Sr. bought the home in 1911 and owned it for 33 years. It housed an antique store and a bed and breakfast.
Delco House
807 North Loop
The home was originally built in 1930 in Independence Heights, the first Black municipality in Texas. The home was moved in 1958 for the construction of the I-610 Loop. Nelson and Pauline Delco owned the home. Nelson Delco was a longshoreman and the couple was prominent in the Black community. The home represents the prosperity of Independence Heights as well as the displacement of its community.
Battelstein’s
806 Main St.
The structure was a two-story building when it was built in 1924. It grew to ten stories by 1950. It functioned as a high-end department store from 1924 to the 1980s. It represents Houston's post-WWII architecture. It is owned by SWVP JW Houston, LLC, which plans to transform it into a hotel.
