Lewis Apartment Building
historic place
The Lewis Apartment Building is a historic place in Houston, Harris County, Texas. Located at 2815-2817 Smith Street, this two-story, frame, brick-veneered, eclectic-style building was constructed in 1923. Russian Jewish immigrants Simon and Ella Lewis built it as an income-producing property. It was designed to attract middle-class tenants to Houston's South End, a neighborhood popular for its trolley line. The Lewis Apartment Building exemplifies the multi-family residences that became widespread across the United States after World War I, as Houston grew into a major urban center. While considered a typical Houston apartment building at its construction, its survival in a relatively unaltered state makes it notable today. The period of significance for the building is 1923 to 1946. The Lewis Apartment Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 for its architectural significance.