Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building, Victorian commercial building in downtown Houston, United States.
The Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building is a late Victorian commercial building at 301 Main Street, on the corner of Main and Congress Streets in Downtown Houston. George E. Dickey designed it with a three-story corner turret and Eastlake decorative elements. A 1968 renovation kept the exposed brick walls and original hardwood floors.
In 1882 John Jasper Sweeney and Edward L. Coombs bought the 1861 W. A. Van Alstyne Building on this corner. Construction of their new building was completed in 1887, and George E. Dickey designed it with a three-story corner turret and Eastlake ornament. Whether the Van Alstyne structure was demolished or absorbed into the new building remains uncertain. Harris County acquired the property by condemnation in 1974.
The building's name comes from the Sweeney and Coombs jewelry firm, joined by Gus Fredericks before 1889; the firm is still in business. The angled decorative doors face the Main and Congress intersection, and the building was formerly home to the Cava Bistro restaurant.
The building sits at a busy intersection downtown and is easily accessible on foot, though the area can be crowded during peak times. It is best to visit early in the day or late afternoon when the surrounding district is less congested.
The jewelry firm of Sweeney and Coombs, joined by Gus Fredericks before 1889, is still in business, making it one of the building's original occupants to survive. Harris County acquired the property through condemnation in 1974; the Harris County Attorney's Environmental Practice Group now occupies the second floor and part of the County Auditor's Office the third.
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