Benjamin Apartments, Houston, Texas
historic place
The Benjamin Apartments in Houston, Texas, is a recognized historic place located in Harris County. This building was completed in 1924. It was designed by noted Houston architect Alfred C. Finn for successful businessman Benjamin Cohen. The architectural style of the Benjamin Apartments reflects influences of the Arts and Crafts movement and Renaissance Revival elements. Originally, it functioned as a four-unit apartment building. Benjamin Cohen and his wife, Annie, resided in one of these units, while the remaining three were rented to other Houstonians. In 1945, the building was sold and subsequently used as a private hospital. The Benjamin Apartments experienced periods of vacancy throughout much of the late 20th century. A rehabilitation project in 2000 then converted the building into viable commercial office space. A historical marker for the Benjamin Apartments was erected in 2001 by the Texas Historical Commission. This site is significant as an example of multi-family housing constructed in the south end of downtown Houston after World War I, and as one of the few surviving apartment buildings of its era in the Midtown area.