South Texas National Bank
a.k.a. United Fund Building
215 Main St., Houston, TXSouth Texas National Bank is significant for its role in the development of Houston's banking community and for its visual contribution to downtown Houston. From 1910, when it was completed, until 1955, the bank reflected the growth of financial activity throughout the city. In addition, 215 Main Street is an architectural landmark and represents the work of two major architects, C. D. Hill and William Ward Watkins, who practiced throughout the state.
Chartered in 1890 the South Texas National Bank had grown steadily in spite of the nationwide panics of 1893 and 1907. As one of the largest banks in the rapidly growing city of Houston, the opening of the new building on April 4, 1910, was widely acclaimed in local news coverage. Chronicle stated that "...South Texas National Bank officials had set out to erect in their prosperous city one of the most, if not the most, complete and finest exclusive bank buildings in the Southwest."
The architect for the building was C. D. Hill and Co. of Dallas. Hill opened an office in Houston in 1910 under the supervision of E. R. Glick and maintained it until 1925. Established in 1907, the firm had already designed the Dallas Golf and Country Club, the Coliseum at the Dallas State Fair, and the First Church of Christ, Scientists, in Houston. Later work included other buildings in Houston and Dallas, and also in Galveston, Austin, Corpus Christi, Waxahachie, and Texarkana.
In 1912, South Texas National Bank merged with the Commercial National Bank, which had been chartered in 1886. This merger formed one of the strongest national banks in the Southwest, under the name of the South Texas Commercial National Bank. In 1949, the name reverted to the original wording.
The side wings were added to the building in 1921 to accommodate the growing business of the bank. The architect for the addition was William Ward Watkins, a noted Houston architect. Watkins had come to Houston in 1910 as supervising architect for the Boston firm of Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson to oversee the construction of the original buildings of Rice Institute. At that time, he was associated with the Rice Department of Architecture. In addition, his work included the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library, and the association of the YWCA buildings in Beaumont, Galveston, and Houston.
South Texas National Bank outgrew the building at 215 Main Street, especially after the 1953 consolidation with the Union Bank (chartered in 1905) which was located across the street at 220 Main Street, and became the Texas National Bank. Pneumatic tunnels connected the two structures. In 1955, the bank moved to the new 21-story building at the location of Main Street and Polk.
The First National Bank at 201 Main Street bought the building at 215 Main as well as the structure between the buildings known as Burgeheim's Pharmacy, which was demolished to make preparations for expanding banking services. The 215 Main Street building was used for additional office space and storage. In 1958, the bank relocated, joining the movement of the banking community away from Lower Main Street.
T. J. Bettes Co., one of the largest mortgage investment firms in Houston, bought the First National Bank Building and the South Texas National Bank Building in 1958 to provide office space for 400 employees working in several locations throughout the city. Three years later, the firm gave the building at 215 Main Street to the United Fund and Community Council. Extensive interior remodeling was done under the supervision of Herman Lloyd of the firm of Lloyd, Morgan, and Jones. Work included closing of the atrium space in order to construct floor space on the second level for office use and a large office area on the first level. The United Fund and Community Council offices opened in April of 1963 and operated from that location until many of its funded agencies had moved out of the inner-city area. Since 1976, when the United Fund moved, the building has been vacant.
In April of 1978, Portfolio Management of Texas, Inc., purchased the building and plans for renovation have been initiated. In the context of its proximity to the old Houston National Bank, a National Register building, at 202 Main Street, and to the growing complex of county governmental courts and offices, 215 Main Street is in an excellent position to provide needed space for the county or for auxiliary legal services. Of major importance is the building's contribution to and enrichment of Houston's architectural heritage.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.