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Historic Kirby Mansion demolition sparks outrage
Witness community passion as residents rally against demolition, sharing heartfelt stories and advocating for preservation of their city's rich history.
HOUSTON - Neighbors, preservation advocates and descendants of John Henry Kirby gathered outside the historic Kirby Mansion on Sunday, calling for Houston to protect its history after demolition left the Midtown home partially destroyed.
Candlelight vigil outside Kirby Mansion
The candlelight vigil and rally at 2000 Smith Street was organized by Mister McKinney, of Mr. McKinney’s Historic Houston, on Sunday evening.
McKinney said the gathering was intended to honor the mansion, bring together people concerned about its future and build a broader effort to protect historic places across Houston.
Organizers asked participants to wear red and white and hoped to bring together about 250 people to join hands around the property where sidewalks allowed.
City stopped demolition over missing permit
The backstory:
Houston Public Works inspected the property Friday, Oct. 30, after receiving notice that demolition was underway.
According to the city’s communications department, inspectors confirmed crews did not have the required demolition permit. They directed crews to stop, posted a stop-work notice and issued a citation to Iqbal Kaskar for demolition without a permit.
Preservation Houston said approximately half the building had already been torn down when a city inspector arrived.
In its Friday statement, the city said a plumbing permit for sewer disconnection had been obtained Oct. 14, but an Oct. 20 inspection identified corrections that still needed to be addressed. Those corrections and any additional required plumbing permits needed final approval before a demolition permit could be issued.
The city also confirmed the mansion is not designated as a City of Houston landmark or protected landmark.
Neighbor says work continued after stop-work order
Jason Fuller, who said he has lived and worked near the mansion for three decades, said he saw demolition resume Friday afternoon after the city had ordered it stopped.
Fuller said he entered the property to confront the workers and tell them they could not continue. Police and Public Works personnel later arrived, he said.
According to Fuller, police told workers to stop demolition and warned him not to trespass again.
Fuller said he later learned that the city issued a demolition permit at 4:50 p.m. Friday. FOX 26 has not independently confirmed that permit update. The city’s statement provided earlier Friday said required corrections and approvals remained outstanding.
Rally organizer says development and preservation can coexist
Big picture view:
McKinney said his opposition to the demolition does not mean he opposes development.
"We want people to prosper but do it in harmony with the history that’s already here," he said in a Friday interview.
McKinney said he believes the property offered room for commercial development while retaining the mansion. He also said preservation supporters could have explored purchasing the home.
For McKinney, the building’s importance extends beyond the people who know its name or history. He said many Houstonians recognize it as a distinctive part of the city.
He said the rally would take place regardless of whether additional demolition occurred before Sunday’s gathering. His goal is to turn concern about the mansion into sustained community involvement through SaveHoustonHistory.com.
Kirby descendants describe heartbreak
What they're saying:
Kirby Black and Stewart Black, identified as John Henry Kirby’s great-great-grandsons, attended the gathering and described the damage as devastating.
Kirby Black said he believes the city could have done more to help preserve the home. He remembered his ancestor as someone who used his resources to help others and support employment during the Great Depression.
Stewart Black said he came to the property Friday afternoon and saw equipment actively tearing down the mansion. Seeing the damage caught him off guard, he said.
The descendants said the family donated the home to the Red Cross in the 1940s. They believe the mansion’s fate might have been different had Kirby died wealthy.
Preservation groups say outreach went unanswered
Preservation Houston said it repeatedly sought a meeting with property owner OB Texas Properties LLC to discuss preserving and reusing the building.
The organization said it also requested access to document the mansion and discuss salvaging architectural features and materials if demolition proceeded. Those requests went unanswered, according to the group.
"We offered to explore ways to give this building a future," Preservation Houston Executive Director Jennifer Kapral said in the organization’s statement.
Preservation Houston said Omair Bashir of OB Texas Properties told the organization in an Oct. 6 email that law firms were considering leasing the property for offices and that he would welcome a meeting after returning from international travel at the end of October.
The organization said it later learned planning for a gas station at the site was already underway. That account comes from Preservation Houston; the information provided for this report does not include confirmation of those plans from the owner.
In a statement issued Saturday, Midtown Houston thanked the city for stopping demolition but said it was disappointed work began without advance communication with the organization, despite repeated efforts to engage the owner.
Midtown Houston said future development should consider the community’s needs and the district’s history.
A home with more than a century of history
Local perspective:
According to Preservation Houston, the original house was built in 1894 for businessman J.S. Price. Lumber magnate John Henry Kirby purchased it in 1896.
An extensive 1926 remodeling by architect James Ruskin Bailey transformed it into a 36-room Tudor Revival mansion. Its features included a hand-carved oak staircase, stone arches, imported tile and paneling made from trees harvested in Kirby’s East Texas forests.
The building later served as headquarters for the Houston-Harris County Red Cross and was restored for corporate offices.
Preservation Houston describes it as one of the few surviving homes from Houston’s once-elite South End neighborhood. The organization said it remains willing to discuss preserving, documenting or salvaging what remains.