The One Main Building, formerly the Merchants and Manufacturers Building (commonly referred to as the M&M Building), is a building on the campus of the
University of Houston–Downtown
The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System and has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite location, UHD-Northwest in Harris County. Fo ...
. The building is recognized as part of the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, is a Recorded
Texas Historic Landmark, and considered a Contributing Building in
Downtown Houston
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45, ...
's
Main Street/Market Square Historic District
Main Street Market Square Historic District is a historic district in Houston, Texas that includes the Market Square Park. It includes buildings nearby, as well as the square itself. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places ...
.
The building was built above
Allen's Landing
Allen's Landing is the officially recognized birthplace of the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States. Located in Downtown Houston between the Main Street and Fannin Street viadu ...
—an area where Houston's founders
John Kirby Allen
John Kirby Allen (1810 – August 15, 1838), was a co-founder of the city of Houston and a former member of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Canaseraga Village, New York (the present day hamlet of Sullivan in the ...
and
Augustus Chapman Allen originally settled.
The Merchants and Manufacturers Building was built in 1930 and was the largest building in the city at the time.
Although the commerce-focused building featured 14 miles of floor space and could accommodate one-third of the city's population, the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
stifled initial participation. The building was purchased by
South Texas Junior College
South Texas Junior College (STJC) was a junior college located in Houston, Texas ( USA).
The YMCA opened STJC in 1948 and operated the two-year coeducational liberal arts school; no tax money supported the school. The YMCA pioneered the con ...
in the 1960s, which became the University of College in 1974.
The building remains as the largest facility of the University of Houston–Downtown and was given an official designation as "One Main Building," or simply the "Main Building," by the university.
References
External links
University of Houston–Downtown
National Register of Historic Places in Houston
History of Houston
University and college academic buildings in the United States
Art Deco architecture in Texas
Historic district contributing properties in Texas
Buildings and structures completed in 1930
Buildings and structures in Houston
1930 establishments in Texas
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks
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