The Julia Ideson Building, Houston, Texas
historic place
The Julia Ideson Building in Houston, Texas, is a significant historic place. It was completed in 1926, originally serving as Houston's main public library. The building replaced the earlier Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Library, which had opened in 1904 but was outgrown by the city's population. Noted Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the building in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style. In 1951, Houston's City Council voted to name the library in honor of Julia Bedford Ideson, the city's first professional librarian, who served for 42 years from 1903 to 1945. Her name was carved over the front door. In 1976, after a new Central Library opened, the Julia Ideson Building became home to the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It remains a landmark, preserving historical records and serving as a research center for Houston's history.