River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics

Significance

This modest building began in 1910 as the John Smith County School, a rural Harris County schoolhouse on what was then the edge of the city. Will Hogg, the civic leader behind River Oaks, later acquired it as the headquarters of the Forum of Civics, an organization he founded to promote city planning and civic improvement, and architect John F. Staub remodeled it for that purpose. The Hogg estate bequeathed the building to the University of Texas in 1939, and the River Oaks Garden Club has owned and cared for it since 1942. Its story links early county education, the Hogg family's campaign for a planned Houston, and the garden club movement. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register.

Climate risks tracked

As a small, low building on a shallow foundation, the Forum of Civics is most affected by Houston's expansive clay soils. Long droughts shrink the clay and heavy rains swell it, which can crack walls and rack doors and windows. Steady soil moisture near the foundation, managed through careful irrigation and drainage away from the walls, is the most important protective measure. Street flooding along Westheimer in intense storms is a concern for a building close to grade, so keeping site drainage clear and water moving away from the entrance matters. Its mature trees and gardens are part of its character and help cool it, but limbs near the roof should be managed before hurricane season. Wood trim and interior finishes need good ventilation to resist humidity and mold.

Use the preservation assistant to talk through retrofit strategies for these specific threats.

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1939 · Art Deco

  Alabama Theater

• 1937 · Art Deco / Moderne

  Lamar High School