Old Houston National Bank Building (Islamic Da'wah Center)

Significance

Built in 1928 for the Houston National Bank and designed by the Fort Worth firm Hedrick & Gottlieb, this Neoclassical bank building at Main and Franklin is one of downtown's most imposing temple fronted commercial buildings. Its colossal columns and richly detailed stone facade announced the confidence of Houston banking on the eve of the Great Depression. After decades of bank use, the building was acquired by the Islamic Da'wah Center, which held its first prayers there in 2002, an act of preservation by a faith community that kept the landmark in active use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a City of Houston Landmark in 2008.

Climate risks tracked

The building stands a block from Buffalo Bayou in the part of downtown that flooded deeply during Tropical Storm Allison. Its raised main floor helps, but basement and vault spaces need flood protection, and the monumental ground floor openings should have removable barriers rather than permanent infill. The stone facade and colossal columns shed water well when joints are sound; repointing with compatible mortar and maintaining the cornice keep wind-driven rain out during hurricanes. Houston's humidity encourages dark biological staining on limestone, best treated with gentle cleaning methods that do not erode the stone surface.

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

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1913 · Beaux-Arts

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• 1926 · Spanish Renaissance Revival

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• 1927 · Italian Renaissance Revival

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• 1924 · Commercial / Chicago School

  Sam Houston Hotel