{"nrhp_refnum":"03000185","name":"Texas Company Building","other_names":["Texaco Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1111 Rusk","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.75776772000006,"lon":-101.36239957799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-04-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A thirteen-story office building at 1111 Rusk, at San Jacinto, in downtown Houston, built in three phases (1915, 1936 and 1959) as regional headquarters of the Texas Company, later Texaco.","why_significant":"The building reflects Houston's growth as a commercial and oil-industry center through the 1910s to the 1950s, and is locally significant under Criterion A. It is also significant under Criterion C for its design by Warren and Wetmore, its Guastavino vaulted arcades, and a sensitive 1959 addition by Kenneth Franzheim. Its exterior retains high integrity even though the interior has been gutted.","narrative":"Rising at the corner of San Jacinto and Rusk in downtown Houston, this office tower was built in three phases for the Texas Company, later known as Texaco. New York architects Warren and Wetmore designed the thirteen-story 1915 building and a 1936 addition, while Houston architect Kenneth Franzheim designed a sixteen-story addition in 1959. A terra-cotta cornice ties the phases together, and Guastavino vaulted arcades with balconies shelter the sidewalks along the original and 1959 sections. The limestone and terra-cotta exterior carries classical details such as a carved clock, pedimented windows and Corinthian pilasters. The building reflects the growth of Houston as a commercial center and the rise of a major oil company that moved to the city in 1908. The company stayed until 1987, and the building has been vacant since. Windows were replaced in the 1970s and the interior was gutted, yet the exterior keeps a high degree of integrity. Plans called for conversion to a hotel.","period_of_significance":"1915-1953","architect_builder":"Warren and Wetmore; Kenneth Franzheim; George A. Fuller Contracting Company, Builder","architectural_style":"Other: 3-part vertical block; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Beaux Arts","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Vacant since the company left in 1987; the interior has been gutted and the exterior is in fair condition. The owner planned a hotel rehabilitation using the Investment Tax Credit program.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.991922-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/58/9723/40972358/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/03000185.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000185/cbe3af4678-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000185/cbe3af4678-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Kenneth C. Zirkel","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Star_Apartments_formerly_Texas_Company_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Kenneth C. Zirkel</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Star_Apartments_formerly_Texas_Company_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972358","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Company_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21016249"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/texas-company-building-03000185/"}