Petroleum Building (Great Southwest Building)

Significance

The Petroleum Building was conceived by Houston oilman Joseph S. Cullinan, a founder of the Texas Company, to bring many oil companies together under one roof. Built around 1927, it was designed by New York architect Alfred C. Bossom with Maurice J. Sullivan and the firm Briscoe & Dixon. On completion it housed upward of twenty oil companies under the American Republics Corporation, along with tenants such as Houston Natural Gas and Halliburton, and its twenty first floor was home to the Tejas Club. Bossom, an English born architect, argued that the stepped pyramids of the Maya should be a model for American skyscrapers. The 22 story building has the limestone base and brown brick shaft typical of 1920s Houston towers, but adds Mayan relief figures above the arched second floor windows and pre Columbian decoration at its three setbacks. Later known as the Great Southwest Building, it was designated a City of Houston Landmark in 2017 and individually listed on the National Register for its commerce and architecture.

Climate risks tracked

The setbacks that give the building its Mayan pyramid profile create several roof levels, each with its own drainage. Clogged drains at the setbacks are a common source of leaks in 1920s towers, so keeping them clear and well flashed protects the terra cotta and brick ornament below. The carved Mayan relief panels and terra cotta at the upper stages face the strongest hurricane winds and should be inspected and anchored regularly. Below grade spaces in this part of downtown need flood protection and raised mechanical systems. As the building is adapted to new uses, interior storm windows can improve energy performance and storm resistance without changing the historic window pattern.

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

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1913 · Beaux-Arts

  Rice Hotel

• 1926 · Spanish Renaissance Revival

  Julia Ideson Building

• 1927 · Italian Renaissance Revival

  Niels Esperson Building

• 1924 · Commercial / Chicago School

  Sam Houston Hotel