Stowers Building

Significance

The Stowers Building, completed in 1913 at 820 Fannin Street, was built for George A. Stowers's furniture company and designed by the Houston firm Green & Finger. Its ten stories are organized in the classic Chicago School tripartite composition, with a two story base, a grid of large windows in the shaft, and an ornate crowning cornice of pressed metal and terra cotta ornament. The building is one of downtown Houston's best surviving early skyscrapers and reflects the influence of Louis Sullivan's tall office building design on Texas commercial architecture. After years of decline it was restored and converted into the Aloft Houston Downtown hotel, which opened in 2014. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Climate risks tracked

The elaborate pressed metal cornice and terra cotta ornament at the roofline are the building's most wind vulnerable features; pieces loosened by hurricanes can fall, so regular inspection, anchoring and rust treatment of the metal armature are essential. The large original window openings should be fitted with wind resistant glazing that matches historic profiles. At street level the building shares downtown's flash flood exposure; deployable barriers at entrances and floodproofed basement systems protect hotel operations. Humidity driven corrosion of the decorative metalwork and moisture penetration through aging mortar joints are chronic issues best managed with gentle cleaning, repointing and maintained roof drainage.

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