The Fight to Save Houston’s Historic Treasures — Preservation Champions Honor the Good Bricks Making a Difference

While historic structures across Houston are slowly being demolished, most notably of late the John Staub house on River Oaks Boulevard, Preservation Houston continues its mission of advocating for preservation and saluting those who work to save the city’s venerable structures.

In advance of its March 8 Cornerstone Dinner, Preservation Houston has revealed the winners of the 2024 Good Brick Awards that celebrate exceptional historic preservation efforts and the individuals responsible for them. This year’s award winners include the landmark Eldorado Ballroom and Houston’s oldest fire station.

The awards were selected by a jury of community leaders, preservation and design professionals, and former Good Brick Award recipients, and chaired by Preservation Houston president Dave Morris. Recipients will be honored at the March 8 dinner at River Oaks Country Club where Diane Kingshill and Ashton Martini will serve as chairs.

Headlining the evening will be architect David Bucek, FAIA, who will receive the President’s Award for his outstanding contributions to historic preservation. Among Bucek’s notable preservation projects is the landmark 1939 Eldorado Ballroom in the Third Ward earns Project Row Houses the Martha Peterson Award for restoration this year.

The Good Brick Awards Residential

Style in Steel Townhouse

The Style in Steel townhouse, designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson in 1968, in Southwest Houston was restored by Mandy and Philip LeBlanc.

Italian Renaissance-style Minchen House

Ted Lee and Marc Sekula receive the Good Brick Award for preservation of the Italian Renaissance-style Simon and Mamie Minchen House (1931 Joseph Finger) in the Boulevard Oaks Historic District. The house holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated City of Houston Landmark.

Folk Victorian Cottage

Built in 1893, this Folk Victorian cottage restoration has eared Dan Tidwell and Jamie Mize a Good Brick Award.

Craftsman Style Homes

Restoration of two Craftsman style homes (circa 1925) in the First Ward garnered FW Heritage LLC  Good Brick honors.

The Good Brick Awards Commercial

Imperial Laundry Building

Concept Neighborhood receives honors for redeveloping the former Imperial Laundry building (circa 1937) as The Plant, a mixed-use development in Houston’s East End.

Knapp Chevrolet Showroom

The Deal Company and Urbano Investments earns Good Brick kudos for repurposing the 1940 Knapp Chevrolet Showroom in the First Ward.

Hollyfield Laundry

The Good Brick Award goes to Davis Commercial Real Estate for its repurposing the Hollyfield Laundry building (1930, J.W. Northrop Jr.) as Barcelona Wine Bar in Montrose.

The Good Brick Awards Institutional

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

The restoration of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church’s historic Gothic sanctuary (1940, James Ruskin Bailey) in Woodland Heights earns a Good Brick Award.

Restored Fire Station No. 7

The restoration of historic Fire Station No. 7 (1899, Olle J. Lorehn) in Midtown into what is now the Houston Fire Museum is more than worthy of a Good Brick Award.