Merchants and Manufacturers Building
historic place
The Merchants and Manufacturers Building in Houston, Texas, was completed in 1930. Designed by the architectural firm Giesecke and Harris, it was the largest building in the city at its completion. This structure was built to house Houston's merchants and manufacturers during the post-World War I economic boom. Its location provided direct access to water, rail, and truck transportation. The building's innovative design allowed railroad tracks and trucking directly inside, along with indoor parking. The Merchants and Manufacturers Building prominently features cast concrete Art Deco detailing. Though the Great Depression affected its early use, it later became home to South Texas Junior College in the 1960s, which transformed into the University of Houston–Downtown in 1974. Today, it serves as the university's One Main Building. The building was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984. It represents a notable example of Houston's early 20th-century commercial architecture and urban development.