Main Street/Market Square Historic District

The district extends between Milam and San Jacinto Streets along Buffalo Bayou, containing 52 buildings, the Main Street Viaduct, and two public parks.

Augustus and John Allen established the area in 1836, marking it as the original commercial center of Houston when Texas was still an independent republic.

The district displays Renaissance Revival and Chicago School architecture through buildings constructed between 1858 and 1935, representing Houston's commercial development.

Market Square Park within the district provides public space with water features, seating areas, and direct access to numerous preserved 19th-century structures.

Four successive Houston City Halls stood at Market Square, each destroyed by fire, before the current park configuration was established.

Location: Houston

Architectural style: Renaissance Revival architecture, Chicago School

Address: Roughly bounded by Buffalo Bayou, Fannin, Texas, and Milamsts

GPS coordinates: 29.76200,-95.36200

Latest update: March 3, 2025 00:25