Esperson Buildings Houston, TX

Once, this was the crown jewel of Houston's skyline, and today Esperson Buildings is the only full-blown example of Italian Renaissance architecture in Houston downtown. It was the tallest building in Texas when built. Because of its history, this structure is properly referred to in the plural. The lit cupola crowning the building, along with the Gulf Building, defined the Houston skyline for three decades.

Esperson Buildings is wonderfully detailed with a gold-leaf tower topped by an elaborate grand tempietto similar to the one built in 1502 in the courtyard of San Pietro in Rome. Roof gardens grace the 17th, 22nd, 25th and 29th floors. The keystones on the lower floors look somewhat like Texas longhorns, but are actually Roman ox skulls. The interior retains some of their 1930s detail - terra cotta urns, terraces, bronze elevator doors, arabesque obelisks, and extensive use of imported Roman marble. Mellie Esperson had the building constructed for her husband, Niels, a Texas real estate and oil tycoon. His name is carved on the side of the building in large letters at street level. The name "Mellie Esperson" is carved on her accompanying structure, known as the Mellie Esperson building. It is really just a 19-story annex to the originally building, and the reason the two are termed collectively.

The ghost of Mellie Esperson is said to roam the "Mellie" building. The elevator malfunctions, and employees say they feel "watched." The Esperson buildings have the curious habit of popping up when you least expect it in the city's skyline. Because of its central location and lack of any taller next-door neighbors, this architectural ghost of the Espersons is able to haunt millions of people daily from its lofty perch.

© Christine Till - CT-Graphics

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