Gulf Building
Also known as: Texas Commerce Bank Building
Why it's listed
Rising 430 feet at Main Street and Rusk Avenue in downtown Houston, this steel-frame skyscraper was built between 1927 and 1929 for developer Jesse H. Jones. A six-story limestone base supports a brick-faced tower that steps back in stages toward a crown of spire-like piers. Its ornament is Art Deco, though derived from Gothic detail, and is concentrated near street level. The two-story lobby has Italian travertine walls, nickel doors, molded plaster vaults and eight frescoes of Texas scenes. Alfred C. Finn was the principal architect, with Kenneth Franzheim as consulting architect. The building held the National Bank of Commerce, Gulf Oil companies and a Sakowitz Brothers store. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi until 1931 and Houston's tallest until 1963. Annexes of 13 and 16 stories were added between 1946 and 1950, and remodelings in 1959-60 and 1969-70 kept its basic character. The building remains a prestigious office address.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the foremost Art Deco skyscraper office buildings in the Southwest. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi until 1931 and the tallest in Houston until 1963. It was the flagship of Jesse H. Jones's real estate holdings and has housed banking and oil firms central to Houston's growth. Alfred C. Finn and Kenneth Franzheim were prolific architects of the period.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83004436, listed August 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 710-724 Main St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | August 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004436 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-29; 1946-50 |
| Architect / builder | Alfred C. Finn, Kenneth Franzheim et al. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco detailing derived from Gothic, in a 1920s Manhattan-style set-back skyscraper |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Economics, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and well maintained; the ground floor is largely occupied by banking facilities and the upper floors remain office space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.76813, -95.36402 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83004436.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3156945
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.