{"nrhp_refnum":"84001795","name":"Houston Public Library","other_names":["Heights Branch"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1302 Heights Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.79449602300008,"lon":-95.39773800399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-05-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Italian Renaissance-style library building at 1302 Heights Boulevard in the Houston Heights neighborhood of Houston, Harris County, Texas, built in 1925 and designed by J. M. Glover, with a compatible wing added in 1979.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the library is architecturally significant for its unusual style, with strong classical elements such as a triumphal arch motif at the entrance that are seldom found in small Texas buildings. It was also built by the people of the Heights together with the Houston Public Library and served as a neighborhood focus in the 1920s and 1930s. A reviewer dropped education as an area of significance, leaving architecture.","narrative":"Standing on a well-landscaped corner lot on Heights Boulevard in Houston, this one-story library was completed in 1925 to designs by architect J. M. Glover, with Universal Construction Company as builder. Its stucco walls, hipped red tile roof, arched windows with many lights and an arched entrance framed in decorative stone give it an Italian Renaissance character. A 1979 wing added at the north end, in stucco and glass, is described as well done and compatible with the original. The building matters chiefly for its architecture: the entrance's triumphal arch motif and other strong classical elements are rarely found in small-scale Texas buildings, and the design shows more sophistication than most contemporary public libraries in the state. It was also built by the people of the Heights in conjunction with the Houston Public Library and served as a focal point for the neighborhood during the 1920s and 1930s. The building has been restored and remains a library.","period_of_significance":"1900--","architect_builder":"J. M. Glover, Architect; Universal Construction Company, Builder","architectural_style":"Renaissance Revival (described as Italian Renaissance)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Physical condition is described as excellent, recently restored very well, and still in use as a library.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.748515-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/88/9693/40969388/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/84001795.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001795/3c9fb1be20-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001795/3c9fb1be20-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"WhisperToMe at English Wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HoustonHeightsLibrary.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">WhisperToMe at English Wikipedia</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HoustonHeightsLibrary.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969388","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heights_Neighborhood_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q69969293"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/houston-public-library-84001795/"}