St. Nicholas Catholic Church

Significance

St. Nicholas Parish was founded in 1887 as Houston's first Catholic church for Black Houstonians, originally located at the corner of Chenevert and Lamar streets. The present church, designed by Leo Diehlmann, was completed in 1924. Its prominent features include twin projecting towers, one taller with an open belfry and one lower and capped, along with corbelled brick detailing and curving parapets. The parish remains an important part of the Third Ward, and the church was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1987.

Climate risks tracked

The two towers and curved parapets are the church's most recognizable features and also its most exposed. Parapets and the open belfry catch hurricane wind and wind driven rain, so checking their anchorage, flashing the parapet caps, and repointing the corbelled brick keeps water from entering the walls without altering their profile. The surrounding Third Ward streets near the edge of downtown can flood during intense storms, so drainage at the front steps and side entrances, raised mechanical equipment, and a plan for protecting the sanctuary floor are practical steps. Stained or arched windows should be protected from hail with discreet exterior glazing that keeps their appearance.

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

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1939 · Streamline Moderne

  Eldorado Ballroom

• 1930 · Shotgun house vernacular

  Project Row Houses

• 1926 · Georgian Revival

  Houston Negro Hospital (Riverside General)

• 1872 · Historic urban park

  Emancipation Park