{"nrhp_refnum":"79002957","name":"Christ Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1117 Texas Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.75979424800005,"lon":-95.36103496799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A complex of interconnected church buildings at 1117 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston, Harris County, Texas, dominated by a Gothic Revival church built in 1893 and designed by Joseph Arthur Tempest and Silas McBee.","why_significant":"The church is one of the oldest church buildings still standing in downtown Houston and a rare example of late nineteenth century Gothic Revival architecture in the central business district. Its ornate detailing and skilled brickwork make it an important architectural landmark. The congregation, established in 1839, is reported to be the oldest organized congregation in Houston.","narrative":"Christ Church is a group of interconnected buildings at 1117 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston, anchored by a large Gothic Revival church completed in 1893. Architects Joseph Arthur Tempest and Silas McBee used dark red brick salvaged from the congregation's earlier building, with a cruciform plan, steep gable roofs, crenelated battlements and pointed arches throughout. A bell tower with a turret marks the northwest corner. The complex also includes the 1892 Guild Hall, Golding Chapel (1938), the Latham Building (1951) and Cleveland Hall (1962). A 1938 fire destroyed much of the east wing and chancel, and William Ward Watkin designed the rebuilding, including the rood screen and altar. The congregation dates to 1839 and is reported to be the oldest organized congregation in Houston. The property is valued as one of the few nineteenth century, non-commercial structures left among downtown high-rises, and as a rare local example of late Gothic Revival design with fine masonry craftsmanship.","period_of_significance":"1893","architect_builder":"Joseph Arthur Tempest; Silas McBee (Guild Hall and church); William Ward Watkin (1938 remodeling and Golding Chapel)","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied, privately owned and in religious use; the interior is described as virtually unaltered apart from the area rebuilt after the 1938 fire.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.423621-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/9724/40972448/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79002957.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002957/7dcf8a4191-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002957/7dcf8a4191-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Blwarren713 (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ.church.cathedral.houston.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Blwarren713 (talk)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ.church.cathedral.houston.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972448","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_Cathedral_(Houston)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5108779"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/christ-church-79002957/"}