The Esperson Buildings

Architectural Romance

Originally developed in 1927 as a memorial to famed real estate and oil tycoon Niels Esperson, the property is a unique example of Italian Renaissance design. The buildings are Houston's most historic and best-known landmark, forming a distinctive feature of the city's skyline. Throughout the buildings, the architecture and fixtures create an atmosphere of style and elegance unparalleled in downtown Houston.

Designed by famed theater architect John Eberson, upon its completion the Niels Esperson Building was the tallest in Texas and the third-tallest in the United States. The Mellie Esperson Building, also designed by John Eberson, was the largest office structure built in Houston during the Great Depression and the first with central air conditioning. Through the years since her passing in 1945, many reports claim sightings of Mellie's ghost still walking the halls and lobbies of her grand structure.