March 25, 2009

Baytown scraps


These are some leftover images from my recent hunting trip, which included a look at Baytown, Texas. A lot of these Baytown structures just have to be Art Deco.

interesting bldg. in baytown
Perhaps this odd little building is Streamline.

house in baytown
Because I was looking specifically for Art Deco buildings on this trip, I thought I saw it everywhere.

garage with deco styling
little bldg. in baytown
deco bldg. in baytown
This actually should have been with my Houston Deco IV post, as I just discovered it is in fact Deco (of this I am certain). It is Odd Fellows Hall, completed in 1929.

another deco bldg. in baytown
bldg. with deco details
former gas station in baytown
another former gas station in baytown

Each of the previous structures were on West Texas Avenue, which must have been quite something forty or fifty years ago. In the midst of all of this Deco and Deco-esque "splendor" was this more modern building, the Citizen Conference Center:
citizen conference center

7 comments:

  1. Hi Chris,
    I was born in Baytown. My family moved away to Connecticut when I was four and I've never been back so it's very cool to see these pictures. I hope to get there some day to see if anything looks familiar (I doubt it).

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  2. In the time since you've been gone, Houston has completely engulfed Baytown. I'm glad these pictures made you think of it!

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  3. My granddad knew every inch of Texas as a rancher; my dad is Texas born and bred...and I've set foot in it just for a few days. It's a shame that I can't live there now and see this history for myself... Anyway, I adore the first building with the curved extension. I *love* how the seemingly lowly garage has all that Deco detail too.

    What's neat about this era is that all strata of buildings (from bus station and garage to a judicial building) seems to have beautiful design details and it didn't seem to be exclusively reserved for the elite.

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  4. Great set of pictures. I can see art deco everywhere as well. :-)

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  5. Amy, that's a lot of inches!! You've got Texas in your blood, even if you aren't in Texas. Yes, that building grabbed my attention and demanded I take its photo. Someone at flickr things it may have been a car dealership, with that rounded area being partially a window. I couldn't resist getting a picture of that garage. It's pretty cool, with its impressive Deco detail. Has there been an architectural movement quite like Art Deco since it's demise??

    Hey, David. Thank you for the compliment.

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  6. Yeah I probably went overboard on the hyperbole with "every inch", but granddad really was pure Texas. He always talked about going back to see the bluebonnets before he died.

    I have to say that the Googie style from the 50s-60s is pretty cool - certainly not as prolific or influential as Deco. Your last photo - a conference center? - reminds me of that style. But no, nothing beats Art Deco!

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  7. Googie - sure enough. I forgot about Googie. I like it too.

    I think the Conference Center may have been built later, but I couldn't find any info on it.

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