National Register of Historic Places

Merchants and Manufacturers Building

Houston, Harris County, Texas
Listed
September 16, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80004130

About this property

The One Main Building, formerly the Merchants and Manufacturers Building (commonly referred to as the M&M Building), is a building on the campus of the University of Houston–Downtown. The building is recognized as part of the National Register of Historic Places, is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and considered a Contributing Building in Downtown Houston's Main Street/Market Square Historic District. The building was built above Allen's Landing—an area where Houston's founders John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen originally settled. The Merchants and Manufacturers Building was built in 1930 and was the largest building in the city at the time. Although the commerce-focused building featured 14 miles of floor space and could accommodate one-third of the city's population, the Great Depression in the United States stifled initial participation. The building was purchased by South Texas Junior College in the 1960s, which became the university of Houston–Downtown College in 1974. The building remains as the largest facility of the University of Houston–Downtown and was given an official designation as "One Main Building," or simply the "Main Building," by the university.

Location

1 Main St.
Houston, Harris County, Texas
29.76614, -95.35922

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

San Jacinto Street Bridge over Buffalo Bayou
Industrial
0.1 mi
Willow Street Pump Station
Modern
0.2 mi
Main Street/Market Square Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
Main Street/Market Square Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
1884 Houston Cotton Exchange Building
Civil War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Merchants and Manufacturers Building listed on the National Register?

Merchants and Manufacturers Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 16, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Merchants and Manufacturers Building?

Merchants and Manufacturers Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Merchants and Manufacturers Building?

The period of significance for Merchants and Manufacturers Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Merchants and Manufacturers Building?

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