Oriental Textile Mill
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Occupying an entire block near the railroad at 2201 Lawrence Street, this brick industrial complex in Houston Heights was built in 1893-94 for A. R. Morey and Company, a mattress manufacturer. Most of it is two stories with a flat roof, brick cornice, corner piers and brick hoodmolds over paired windows. A four-story square tower, three bays wide with a corbelled top, rises above a fifth stage faced in ashlar and topped by an arched bay with a clock and a parapet with a pediment-like peak. The complex later became the Oriental Textile Mill, which employed many residents of the western Heights and once had small worker homes nearby, now razed. It was one of the first industrial complexes in the Heights and is the last of those early structures remaining, still in use as a fiberglass factory. Alterations are minor, including aluminum windows and newer attached buildings. Its architecture and its role in local industry support its listing.
Significance in brief: It was one of the first industrial complexes in Houston Heights and is the last of those early structures still standing and in use. It is best known as the Oriental Textile Mill, which employed many residents of the western Heights and once had a complex of small worker homes, since razed. Its areas of significance are architecture and industry at the local level.
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 83004476, listed June 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2201 Lawrence St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004476 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition good; minor alterations including recent attached buildings and aluminum windows; still in use as a fiberglass factory. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.80594, -95.40846 (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 83004476.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20714672
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.