Houston Public Library, Heights Branch

Significance

The Heights Branch was built in 1925 to a design by Houston architect James M. Glover and officially dedicated on March 18, 1926. It was built by the people of the Heights together with the Houston Public Library and became a focus of the neighborhood in the 1920s and 1930s. The one story building is made of hollow tile blocks clad in stucco under a red terra cotta tile roof. Its slightly projecting entrance bay has large round arched portals, cast stone Italian Renaissance details, ocular windows, and pilasters with arabesque decoration below a niched parapet. A compatible addition was built on the north side in 1979. The library was listed individually on the National Register in 1984 as part of the Houston Heights Multiple Resource Area and was designated a City of Houston Landmark in 2004.

Climate risks tracked

Stucco over hollow clay tile performs well in heat but cracks allow water into the wall, so keeping stucco sound, patched with compatible lime based mixes, is the core maintenance task. The terra cotta tile roof sheds water well but individual tiles can break in hail or high wind, so keeping salvaged or matching tiles on hand allows quick repair without changing the roof. Heights Boulevard streets can pond during intense rain, so the entrance steps and the lower walls need good drainage and a plan for keeping water out of the book stacks. As a public building, the library can also serve as a cooling center during heat waves, which makes efficient, discreetly placed mechanical systems a resilience priority.

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

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1926 · Mission Revival

  Heights Fire Station No. 14

• 1898 · Queen Anne Victorian

  Milroy House on Heights Boulevard

• 1915 · Mission Revival

  Houston Heights City Hall and Fire Station

• 1929 · Art Deco

  The Heights Theater