The Houston Architectural Survey was prepared in 1980 by a team coordinated by the City of Houston, Texas Historical Commission and the Southwest Center for Urban Research. Drexel Turner directed the project and Stephen Fox was its principal investigator; the rest of the 1980 team is listed here.

The survey was expanded in 1984 to include 300 historically and architecturally significant structures throughout the city of Houston. Those sites include some of the most important historic buildings in the city as well as many lesser-known sites, several of which have been altered or demolished in the years since the survey was compiled. The survey provides the only comprehensive histories of many buildings, and it is the only thorough record of some significant structures that have been demolished.

Preservation Houston led the digitization effort that is making the Houston Architectural Survey available online for the first time. The first phase of this effort involves scanning and editing the survey entries, digitizing images and designing and interface by which the survey can be searched and browsed. In this phase, the survey will be presented as-is, with no significant changes from the 1984 printing. Read more about the team working on the current project here.

Later phases of work will involve updating the existing survey entries with revised building descriptions and photography and expanding the survey to include other significant structures.

If you would like to volunteer to help with the Houston Architectural Survey project, or if you’d like more information about the work, please e-mail us.

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