Esperson Family -- Esperson Buildings, Houston TX
N 29° 45.537 W 095° 21.889
15R E 271336 N 3294418
The Esperson family coat of arms is inlaid in two landmark downtown Houston buildings built by Mrs. Mellie Esperson in 1925 and 1941, respectively.
Waymark Code: WMVD2W
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/03/2017
Views: 2
The two landmark downtown Houston buildings at Rusk and Travis streets were built by Mellie Esperson and named for herself and her husband are dramatic and unique additions to downtown Houston -- and that's before you get an eyeful of Viking ship, dragon, and tridents on the family Coat of Arms at street level.
From Wikipedia: (
visit link)
"Esperson Buildings
General information
Status: Complete
Type: Commercial offices
Architectural style: Neoclassical Art Deco/Art Moderne
Location: Travis and Walker Streets, Houston, Texas
Completed: Niels tower: 1927; Mellie tower: 1939–1941
Height: Niels tower: 125 m (410 ft); Mellie tower: 82.9 m (272 ft)
Technical details
Floor count: Niels tower: 32; Mellie tower: 19
Floor area: 570,044 sq ft
Design and construction Architect: John Eberson
The Niels and Mellie Esperson Buildings are a building complex in downtown Houston, Texas. Mary Ann Azevedo of the Houston Business Journal said that they were "among the most recognizable" buildings in Downtown.
The Niels Esperson Building is the only complete example of Italian Renaissance architecture in Downtown Houston. Designed by theater architect John Eberson, the Esperson buildings were built in 1927 and 1941, respectively. They are elaborately detailed with massive columns, great urns, terraces, and a grand tempietto at the top, similar to one built in the courtyard of San Pietro in Rome in 1502.
Mellie Esperson had the first of the two buildings constructed for her husband, Niels, a real estate and oil tycoon. His name is carved on the side of the building, above the entrance, in large letters. The name "Mellie Esperson" is carved on the accompanying structure, known as the Mellie Esperson building, although that structure is only a nineteen-story annex to the original Esperson building."