Westheimer Undertaking Company Building At 1217 Prairie St.

[Highrise Tower]

Very cool find here!

Westheimer Undertakers and Funeral Directors, 1217 Prairie at Caroline.  Men standing beside Funeral vehicles parked in front of the building.

Date: 1905

Edit: During the early years of the building, the fourth floor (named Westheimer Hall) served as a meeting place for several unions and associations such as the Typographical Union #87, Wood Wire & Metal Lathers International Union Houston Local #224, and the Sharks Benevolent Club.

[Dave W]

Westheimer Undertakers was started and owned by Sidney Westheimer, one of M.L.'s nephews.

Westheimer Transfer was started and owned by Sigmund Westheimer, another nephew.

Edited October 10, 2022 by Dave W

[Highrise Tower]

Photo of the old Westheimer Building that I took today.

I really like the wood on the front entrance!

 

 

[Specwriter]

This is a very interesting building despite its size and normal, for the time, appearance. I was inside this building about sixteen years ago. In the basement there is a granite slab at about waist height which, I was told, was the place where bodies were prepared for viewing. I took that to mean embalming and perhaps applying makeup. I've been to many funerals in my lifetime and I cannot recall one time when the deceased, woman or man, adult or child, did not have some form of makeup. There is also a walk-in vault in the basement but it is quite small.

I was also taken to the fourth floor where there were/are monitor windows (sort of like skylights) that faced true north so they are off the grid of downtown and askew to the walls of the building. I was told this space was used for cotton factoring (grading) which needed to be done under diffuse north light.

When I visited in 2008 or 2009 (?) the building was occupied primarily by bail bond firms and a few attorneys. Thank you for posting, Highrise.