Press Releases
HOTEL ICON HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: UNION NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
In 1911, the renowned, St. Louis-based architectural firm of Mauran, Russell & Crowell made its first mark on the Houston skyline with the completion of the Union National Bank Building. One of the greatest financial institutions in Texas, the bank was originally organized in 1905 by Colonel Jonas Shearn Rice, who received the first state granted charter under the new banking laws of Texas, and acted as president and then chairman of the board until his death in 1931. Colonel Rice's uncle, William Marsh Rice, made the bequest that led to the founding of Rice Institute, and his younger brother, H. Baldwin Rice, was Mayor of Houston from 1905 to 1913. His daughter, Kate Rice, married Hugo V. Neuhaus, founder of Neuhaus & Co., the first investment banking firm in Texas, which moved to the second floor of this building in 1911 and remained for 35 years. A premier address for business, 220 Main attracted many other notable tenants, such as the legendary Jesse H. Jones, prominent architect John Staub and international construction giant Brown and Root. The 12-story structure is situated on a portion of the 6,642-acre parcel of land that New York real estate promoters John K. Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen purchased in August of 1836 for $9,423 from Colonel Rice's grandfather, Horace Baldwin, who was Mayor of Houston during the days of the Republic of Texas. One of the country's earliest steel and concrete skyscrapers, the edifice features an imposing brick and Bedford limestone facade, adorned with intricately carved Corinthian columns and keystones depicting Hermes, the Greek god of trade, commerce and good fortune. The interior lobby colonnade is accentuated by two rows of 30-foot Doric columns and extensive use of decorative plaster molding. A stunning example of neo-classical architecture, the building came to symbolize the entrepreneurial spirit and determination upon which Houston was founded. After a painstaking restoration, the former bank was reborn as Hotel ICON in January 2004. Thanks to the resolve of a small group of local businessmen who saved the structure, the Union National Bank Building serves as a living reminder of Houston's colorful history and icon of the cosmopolitan, international center the city has become.
