MontroseNeighborhoodCafe Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 http://www.002mag.com/mag/current/images/p-(45).gif 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 I am so glad to see discussion of converting the building back to a retail use. I wish the article went into some specifics -- I'd be more optimistic if it announced that a retailer had signed a lease on the building or some space in it. But talk of it being reborn as retail is better than nothing.At least the building is still there. The sites of other former downtown department stores like Battlestein's and Neiman Marcus are no more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 The buildings for both the former Battlesteins and Neiman Marcus are extant. Neiman was in the Kirby building, which is being converted into apartments. The Battlesteins building is vacant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 it's interesting to consider what would happen to the galleria if houston's downtown retail goes upscale. two upscale centers of retail perhaps? does it matter, in general, if upscale retail focus moves downtown from the galleria?exciting none the less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 The buildings for both the former Battlesteins and Neiman Marcus are extant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 If I'm not mistaken the San Jacinto building had Walgreens on the ground floor. In any event, it's a shame they left that a rubble-strewn vacant lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 If I'm not mistaken the San Jacinto building had Walgreens on the ground floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELK Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I worked at Battlesteins downtown. It was located at 812 Main. Next door on the corner was Walgreens at ground level and LC Cafeteria downstairs. Across the street was a jewelry store on the corner, Corrigan's I believe, next to it was Saks Fifth Avenue and next to it The Three Sisters clothing boutique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 I worked at Battlesteins downtown. It was located at 812 Main. Next door on the corner was Walgreens at ground level and LC Cafeteria downstairs. Across the street was a jewelry store on the corner, Corrigan's I believe, next to it was Saks Fifth Avenue and next to it The Three Sisters clothing boutique.Did you mean to say Sakowitz? I don't think Saks Fifth Avenue has ever been in downtown Houston, have they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Did you mean to say Sakowitz? I don't think Saks Fifth Avenue has ever been in downtown Houston, have they?Sak's was originally where the new Blvd Place is going, then they moved the the Marshall Field's building in the Galleria, after Field's pulled out of Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Sak's was originally where the new Blvd Place is going, then they moved the the Marshall Field's building in the Galleria, after Field's pulled out of Texas.Yes, that is correct. I don't think they were ever downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 A Houston Architecture Info visitor named Kitty Landholt sent in an old drawing she has of the Battlestein's Building. She wrote I give this building 5 stars for intrigue. I've passed by it every day for the past several months while working downtown, and it's always intrigued me, wondering what it once was, admiring the gentle curve of the second level window strip opening. Finally, I just saw it in a 1950 booklet of building drawings, and now I know it was once one of the busiest dept. stores in Houston! Crazy! It always smells like a funky old basement when you walk past because of the grilles in the sidewalk blowing up basement air at you. She scanned in the picture and sent it to us: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Neat! Notice how in the drawing it was spelled Battlestein's and not Battelstein's This is a picture I took several years ago before the metal gate was put out front: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 (edited) Battelstein's (1950)Location: 812 Main StreetArchitects: Joseph Finger & George Rustay ...mentions a "planar limestone facade"...and an "inset second floor balcony (originally intensively planted)".source: AIA Houston Architectural Guide, S. FoxI love those old deep set entrances to bldgs. Thnx for the drawing & pic. Edited January 13, 2009 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 What type of clothes did Battelstein's sell? Were they considered an "upscale" store like Sakowitz, or were they more "middle of the road" like Foley's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 What type of clothes did Battelstein's sell? Were they considered an "upscale" store like Sakowitz, or were they more "middle of the road" like Foley's?I would say more upscale, like Sakowitz. There was a Battelsteins in Sharpstown and there was also a free standing store on Sheperd near San Felipe for the River Oaks shoppers. Frost Brothers operated a store in that building in later years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Also found these: January 2007: July 2003: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Wow, looks like the flagpoles are still there...the marble is nice, & what happened to those missing letters in the name? I wish my digital camera & I could walk through this bldg, and others like it. Do you know it's current condition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBAYS Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Battelstein's was a wonderful clothing store that catered to high end clothing for men women and children in the late 1930's and early 1940's. In 1940, "Pap" Battelstein was still living. He was a rather short, portly man with kind eyes who stood near the entrance of the store and handed dimes which he carried in his coat pocket to the young children who came to the store shopping with their parents. Another fond memory of this wonderful store was hat shopping with my father. In the men's department, which at that time was on the ground floor and to the left of the front door, there were large display cases on top of which were miniature hats sitting on top of their miniature hat boxes. After my father made his selection of a new hat for the season, I would be presented with an exact replica of my father's new hat in my own little hat box. I no longer have these small treasures and have often wondered what could have happened to my collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretsquirrel Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I searched and couldn't find much on Battlesteins Downtown . I know it was supposed to of been Houston's busiest department store but was wondering when and why it closed. I noticed it looks like a club was inside at one time on the lower levels . Any info would be greatly appreciated !!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Interesting building, and one of the more modern designs from Joseph Finger's compendium.Here's another thread with a little more talk about it:http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...hl=battelsteinsand the HAI page:http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/Buildi...7s_Building.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabasushi Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I would say more upscale, like Sakowitz. There was a Battelsteins in Sharpstown and there was also a free standing store on Sheperd near San Felipe for the River Oaks shoppers. Frost Brothers operated a store in that building in later years.Any idea where this River Oaks building was (if it's still there at all)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
native_Houstonian Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Any idea where this River Oaks building was (if it's still there at all)?The River Oaks building is long gone. There are townhomes/apartments there now. It was on S. Shepherd, on the West side of the street, inbetween Welch and Indiana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabasushi Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The River Oaks building is long gone. There are townhomes/apartments there now. It was on S. Shepherd, on the West side of the street, inbetween Welch and Indiana.Ah, okay...thanks. Yep, I know where that is, as I live not too far there. Time to call up http://www.historicaerials.com/ :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yep, it was at 2010 S. Shepherd - there was a beauty salon, tea room, and something called Graham's catering, too.Just across Indiana was Jamail Bros. food market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabasushi Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yep, it was at 2010 S. Shepherd - there was a beauty salon, tea room, and something called Graham's catering, too.Just across Indiana was Jamail Bros. food market.Awesome...thanks! About Jamail's market...is that now the PetCo store? I've wondered about the history of that building since it clearly isn't new. Several months ago when Petco was remodelling a part of the store, the floor was torn up, and I could see old-fashioned linoleum tiles, the kind with the marbling pattern, underneath.Anyway, I looked up the store on http://www.historicaerials.com, and yep, there it was in the photos from 1957 trhough 1981. Already gone by 2002, replaced by that apartment complex. A rectangular building, apparently two stories tall or so (judging from the depth of the shadow) with a parking lot to the south. I don't think I can post a pic here due to copyright infringement, but you can look it up by going to the site, entering the address "2100 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77019" and selecting the year 1964. (I recommend 1964, as that has the best photographic quality.)Does anyone, by any chance, have an old photo of the store? Heck, I'd love to see any old photos of South Shephard Drive since I'm practically on that street everyday. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The book Houston - the Bayou City mentions that the downtown "Battelstein's (dry goods store) was enlarged & remodeled in the building boom years of 1945-50's. The reference is an article titled "The New Battelstein's Formally Opens in March", Houston, XXI (March 1950), 10-11, 36. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIREhat Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 I'm also interested in that Petco building, anyone know what it was before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 The book Houston - the Bayou City mentions that the downtown "Battelstein's (dry goods store) was enlarged & remodeled in the building boom years of 1945-50's. The reference is an article titled "The New Battelstein's Formally Opens in March", Houston, XXI (March 1950), 10-11, 36. Most times we saw Battlestein's, we just kept walking. It seemed to "adult or square" to us teens. All we would see were like matronly dames or ladies that appeared very high brow, enter & exit. Anyone have any idea of the origins of that name ? I mean like what part of the world it originated from? German perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 When did Battelstein's close down?How many locations did it have (besides downtown, River Oaks, and Sharpstown)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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