Star Engraving Company Building
National Register of Historic Places

Star Engraving Company Building

Houston, Harris County, Texas
Listed
January 6, 1995
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94001521

About this property

The Star Engraving Company Building is a building at 3201 Allen Parkway in Houston, Texas, built in 1930 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by the Star Engraving company to house its engraving factory. The building is currently (as of 2020) privately owned. It was designated a local historic landmark in 1986, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Stages Repertory Theatre had resided in the building since 1985 until they moved into the new "Gordy" Theater Facility, and the Children's Museum of Houston resided there until 1992. In 2020, the property was acquired by Houston-based real estate firm Radom Capital and remodeled into boutique offices, restaurant and retail space. Currently, it is a mixed-use building that is the site of the Electrolit US headquarters The building became the subject of controversy in 1992 when then-owner 3201 Allen Parkway Ltd. indicated its intent to evict the Stages Theatre and the Children's Museum in order to develop the building into loft condominia in partnership with developer Gross Investments. The Children's Museum had long been planning a move to the Museum District anyway, but Stages and its supporters protested that a move would greatly harm the theatre, and requested local-government assistance in buying the building. A few months later, the development deal with Gross Investments fell through, and 3201 Allen Parkway Ltd. offered to sell the building to Stages. However, Stages couldn't meet its asking price and negotiations broke down. The City of Houston eventually purchased the building, after a controversial threat to use eminent domain powers to confiscate it, and turned it into a municipal arts center.

Location

3201 Allen Pkwy.
Houston, Harris County, Texas
29.76038, -95.38896

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCEINDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
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

Clarke & Courts Building
Industrial
0.4 mi
Freedmen's Town Historic District
Civil War
0.5 mi
San Felipe Courts Historic District
Modern
0.6 mi
Old Sixth Ward Historic District
Listed
0.8 mi
Sabine Street Bridge over Buffalo Bayou
Industrial
0.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Narvaez's Texas Expedition (Filibuster)
1819Early Republic
1.1 mi
Camp Logan Race Riot
1917Modern
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Star Engraving Company Building listed on the National Register?

Star Engraving Company Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 6, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Star Engraving Company Building?

Star Engraving Company Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Star Engraving Company Building?

The period of significance for Star Engraving Company Building is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1930.

Can I research the history near Star Engraving Company Building?

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