Esperson Buildings

Last updated
Niels and Mellie Esperson Buildings
Neils-Esperson Building Houston Texas.jpg
The Niels Esperson Building
Esperson Buildings
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCommercial offices
Architectural style Neoclassical
Art Deco/Art Moderne
LocationTravis and Walker Streets
Houston, Texas
Coordinates 29°45′32″N95°21′55″W / 29.7590°N 95.3653°W / 29.7590; -95.3653
CompletedNiels tower: 1927
Mellie tower: 1939–1941
Height
RoofNiels tower: 125 m (410 ft)
Mellie tower: 82.9 m (272 ft)
Technical details
Floor countNiels tower: 32
Mellie tower: 19
Floor area570,044 sq ft (52,958.8 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s) John Eberson
References
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The Niels and Mellie Esperson Buildings are a building complex in downtown Houston, Texas. Mary Ann Azevedo of the Houston Business Journal said that they were "among the most recognizable" buildings in Downtown. [7]

Contents

The Niels Esperson Building is the only complete example of Italian Renaissance architecture in Downtown Houston. [2] Designed by theater architect John Eberson, the Esperson buildings were built in 1927 and 1941, respectively. They are elaborately detailed with massive columns, great urns, terraces, and a grand tempietto at the top, similar to one built in the courtyard of San Pietro in Rome in 1502. [2]

Mellie Esperson had the first of the two buildings constructed for her husband, Niels, a real estate and oil tycoon. His name is carved on the side of the building, above the entrance, in large letters. The name "Mellie Esperson" is carved on the accompanying structure, known as the Mellie Esperson building, although that structure is only a nineteen-story annex to the original Esperson building; [2] thus is the newer of both buildings and it is not as tall. Also, instead of it being of neo-classical design, it was constructed in Art-Deco style.

Sherry Thomas of USA Today said that rumors of the buildings being haunted existed. [8] The ghost of Mellie Esperson is said to have haunted the building. [9] In 2007 Cameron Management Inc. sold the Esperson buildings to Seligman Western Enterprises Ltd. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston)</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

The JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a 305.4-meter (1,002-foot), 2,243,013-square-foot (208,382.7 m2), 75-story skyscraper at 600 Travis Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It is currently the tallest building in Texas and the South Central region of the United States, the tallest five-sided building in the world, the 29th-tallest building in the United States, and the 107th-tallest building in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Houston</span> Neighborhood in Harris County, Texas, United States

Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The 1.84-square-mile (4.8 km2) district, enclosed by the aforementioned highways, contains the original townsite of Houston at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, a point known as Allen's Landing. Downtown has been the city's preeminent commercial district since its founding in 1836.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">191 Peachtree Tower</span> Skyscraper in Atlanta

One Ninety One Peachtree Tower is a 235 m (771 ft) 50-story skyscraper in Atlanta, Georgia. Designed by Johnson/Burgee Architects and Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc, the building was completed in 1990 and is the fourth tallest in the city, winning the BOMA Building of the Year Awards the next year, repeating in 1998 and 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comerica Bank Tower</span> Headquarters of Comerica bank and skyscraper in Dallas, Texas

Comerica Bank Tower is a 60-story postmodern skyscraper located at 1717 Main Street in the Main Street District in downtown Dallas, Texas. Standing at a structural height of 787 feet (240 m), it is the third tallest skyscraper in the city of Dallas. It is also the sixth tallest building in Texas and the 61st tallest building in the United States. The building was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, and was completed in 1987. The structure has 1,500,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Tower (Dallas)</span> Skyscraper located in downtown Dallas Texas

Dallas Arts Tower (formerly Chase Tower) is a 225 m (738 ft), 55-story postmodern skyscraper at 2200 Ross Avenue in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas. Although it is the fourth tallest skyscraper in the city, if one were to exclude antennas and spires, it would be the third. It is also the 13th tallest building in Texas. The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and was completed in 1987. The building also formerly housed the Dallas Petroleum Club, a business and social club located on the 39th and 40th floors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Plaza (Houston)</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

The Wells Fargo Plaza, formerly the Allied Bank Plaza and First Interstate Bank Plaza, is a skyscraper located at 1000 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">555 California Street</span> 52-story skyscraper in San Francisco

555 California Street, formerly Bank of America Center, is a 52-story 779 ft (237 m) skyscraper in San Francisco, California. It is the fourth tallest building in the city as of February 2021, and in 2013 was the largest by floor area. Completed in 1969, the tower was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until the completion of the Transamerica Pyramid in 1972, and the world headquarters of Bank of America until the 1998 merger with NationsBank, when the company moved its headquarters to the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is currently owned by Vornado Realty Trust and The Trump Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston tunnel system</span> System of pedestrian tunnels in Houston, US

The Houston tunnel system is a network of subterranean, climate-controlled, pedestrian walkways that links 95 full city blocks 20 feet (6 m) below Houston's downtown streets. It is approximately six miles (9.7 km) long. There are similar systems in Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Montreal, and Toronto. Architectural historian Stephen Fox has stated that the idea for the tunnel system came when the Bank of the Southwest Building was "linked by tunnel to the 1010 Garage and the Mellie Esperson Building" in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage Plaza</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

Heritage Plaza is a postmodern skyscraper located in the Skyline District of downtown Houston, Texas. Standing at 762 feet (232 m), the tower is the 5th-tallest building in Houston, the 8th-tallest in Texas, and the 60th-tallest in the United States. The building, designed by Houston-based M. Nasr & Partners P.C., was completed in 1987, and has 53 floors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JPMorgan Chase Building (Houston)</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

The JPMorgan Chase Building, formerly the Gulf Building, is a 37-story 130 m (430 ft) Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Houston, Texas. Completed in 1929, it remained the tallest building in Houston until 1963, when the Exxon Building surpassed it in height. The building is the Houston headquarters of JPMorgan Chase Bank, and was formerly the headquarters of Texas Commerce Bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Houston</span>

The architecture of Houston includes a wide variety of award-winning and historic examples located in various areas of the city of Houston, Texas. From early in its history to current times, the city inspired innovative and challenging building design and construction, as it quickly grew into an internationally recognized commercial and industrial hub of Texas and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Shell Plaza</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

One Shell Plaza (OSP) is a 50-story, 218 m (715 ft) skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas. Perched atop the building is an antenna that brings the pinnacle height of the building to 304.8 m (1,000 ft). At its completion in 1971, the tower was the tallest in the city.

Enterprise Plaza is a 55-story, 230 m (750 ft) skyscraper at 1100 Louisiana Street in downtown Houston, Texas The headquarters of Enterprise Products is located in the Enterprise Plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CenterPoint Energy Plaza</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

CenterPoint Energy Tower is a 741 feet (226 m) tall building in downtown Houston. The original building, finished in 1974, stood at 651 feet (198 m), but a 90-foot (27 m) extension was added as part of a 1996 renovation. Designed by Richard Keating, this renovation dramatically changed the building, the Houston Skyline and the downtown. Keating was also the designer of the nearby Wells Fargo Tower. It has the headquarters of CenterPoint Energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1400 Smith Street</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

1400 Smith Street is a 691 ft (211 m) tall skyscraper located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The building has 50 floors and is the 11th tallest building in the city. Designed by architectural firm Lloyd Jones Brewer and Associates, the building was completed in 1983. The 1,200,000-square-foot (110,000 m2) office tower is situated on Houston's six-mile (10 km) pedestrian and retail tunnel system that links many of the city's downtown towers. It was formerly Four Allen Center, a part of the Allen Center complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First City Tower</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

First City Tower, located at 1001 Fannin, is a skyscraper in downtown Houston, Texas. The building rises 662 feet (202 m) in height. Completed in 1981, it contains 49 floors. First City Tower currently stands as the 14th-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm who designed the building was Morris-Aubry, and was built by W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation. The structure is an example of late-modernist architecture. The tower, which formerly housed the headquarters of the now-defunct First City National Bank, now serves as the global headquarters of Waste Management, Inc, and the headquarters of Vinson & Elkins. It also houses the U.S. headquarters of Campus Living Villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1500 Louisiana Street</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

1500 Louisiana Street, formerly Enron Center South, is a 600 ft (183m) tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 2002 and has 40 floors and a total building area of 1,284,013sq.ft. It is the 17th tallest building in the city and the tallest completed in the 2000s. It was designed by César Pelli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBR Tower</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas, US

KBR Tower is a 550 ft tall skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States; it is a part of the Cullen Center complex. The KBR Tower has the headquarters of KBR, Inc., an engineering, procurement, and construction company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1000 Main</span> Skyscraper located in Houston Texas

1000 Main, formerly Reliant Energy Plaza, is a 518-foot (158 m) tall skyscraper in Downtown Houston, Texas managed by Transwestern. It houses the headquarters of GenOn Energy, and the building has around 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) of space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">609 Main at Texas</span> Skyscraper in Houston, Texas

609 Main at Texas is a skyscraper in Houston, Texas.

References

  1. "The Esperson Buildings". Emporis . Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 The Esperson Buildings at Glass Steel and Stone (archived)
  3. "Niels Esperson Building". SkyscraperPage .
  4. "Mellie Esperson Building". SkyscraperPage .
  5. Niels Esperson Building at Structurae
  6. Mellie Esperson Building at Structurae
  7. 1 2 Azevedo, Mary Ann (June 22, 2007). "Cameron cashes in on Espersons". The Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  8. Thomas, Sherry (October 30, 2003). "Houston: A city without zoning". USA Today. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  9. Berkowitz, Lana (October 21, 2007). "Downtown Houston can be a real ghost town". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 31 August 2012.