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Hermann Square became a public park in 1914. In 1939, Houston's City Hall was built on the western edge of the park. The remaining square, lined with huge live oak trees, was landscaped around a reflecting basin. Today, Hermann Square remains the civic center of the city, bordered by Houston City Hall, the Julia Ideson Library, and Tranquility Park.
It is said that George Hermann once permitted his laborers to sleep off their hangovers in this block. He allegedly thought it was cheaper to allow them to sleep on his land than to bail them out of jail. When Hermann bequethed the land to the City for a park, a provision was included in the deed that would permit people to sleep in the park. To this day, city ordinances banning sleeping in parks are not enforced here for fear of violating the deed restriction.
Hermann Square is used for several municipal events, from the Italian Festival to the International Festival to the Bayou City Arts Festival. Check the calender (pdf) to see what’s happening here.
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View from Hermann Square.
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