The Eldorado Ballroom has been a fixture in Houston's Third Ward since 1939. Prominent Black businesspeople and philanthropists Anna and Clarence Dupree built the nightclub to be a showplace for blue-chip entertainers including Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown — but the Eldorado was more than a famous nightspot. The so-called "Home of Happy Feet" hosted generations of Houstonians at dances, talent shows and dinners, and was a vital part of the Third Ward's civic and commercial life.

We're holding a happy hour for Preservation Houston and Pier & Beam members Thursday evening, September 26, and we'd love to see you there! This informal gathering will be a great opportunity to unwind, catch up with fellow members and share our passion for preservation in a classic setting: West Alabama Ice House, a fixture in the Montrose area since 1928.

When planning began for a building to replace the office that had served historic Glenwood Cemetery since 1888, the goal was to design a structure that reflected modern sensibilities while respecting the cemetery’s 150-year heritage. The result was the Center for Glenwood, a 14,000-square-foot office, education and visitor center that opened in 2023. Join PH and architect Dillon Kyle at the Center on September 17 for a look into the process of designing a new landmark for one of Houston’s most historic places.

American architect Victor Lundy built his career on a deep understanding of material and form, crafting designs that range from gracefully soaring houses of worship to the rigidly geometric United States Tax Court Building in Washington, D.C. Lundy’s journey brought him to Houston, where he still resides, in 1976. Although he no longer lives in the remarkable home and studio he designed for himself and his wife, Anstis, our members have the exclusive opportunity to have a first look at this masterpiece Saturday morning, September 7, as it goes on the market.

Architect Victor Lundy’s long and varied career saw him produce striking, sculptural designs for homes, retail stores, churches and government buildings. Lundy was trained in the Beaux Arts and Bauhaus traditions, and though his work drew from both, his experimentation with material and form gave him a style all his own. Today, Lundy’s work is praised for its careful composition and timeless quality — and yet he remains one of the most underappreciated figures in modern American architecture.

Join Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons for an illustrated virtual look at the Bayou City's history that explores the forces that have shaped its development and the stories of some of the people who helped turn a swampy village into one of America's largest and most dynamic cities. The Story of Houston is an engaging review of local history for newcomers and longtime Houstonians alike.

Preservation Houston members are invited to celebrate the organization’s work in the past year, welcome new leaders and mingle with friends during the 2024 Member Reception and Meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 18.

Preservation Houston has presented Good Brick Awards since 1979 to recognize outstanding historic preservation projects — and we’re inviting you to join us online at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, to learn more about this year’s Good Brick winners.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

Preservation Houston has presented Good Brick Awards since 1979 to recognize outstanding historic preservation projects — and we’re inviting you to join us online at Tuesday evening, August 22, to learn more about this year’s Good Brick winners.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Harris County housed disadvantaged elderly and disabled people at the Poor Farm. A few dozen residents lived and worked on the 200-acre tract off Bissonnet Street in what was then the open countryside southwest of Houston. The Poor Farm operated at the site until 1922; the acreage was later developed as Southside Place and part of West University Place. Today, Poor Farm Ditch — which once ran alongside the property — is one of the only reminders that the county farm was once located in the area.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

The Good Brick Award-winning redevelopment of the Barbara Jordan Post Office as the mixed-use POST Houston is one of the highest-profile preservation projects in the Bayou City today. Join Preservation Houston for an inside look at the work that went into adapting this downtown landmark for new uses during an online Preservation in Practice program with Amanda Barry, historic preservation tax credit manager for Ryan, on Tuesday evening, July 11.

This event is open to current Preservation Houston/Pier & Beam members.

Preservation Houston members are invited to join us Tuesday evening, June 20, for a celebration of the organization's work over the past year and a chance to welcome incoming members of the PH Board of Directors during the 2023 Member Reception and Meeting at POST Houston.

The small town of New Harmony, Indiana, was an important site of Houstonian Jane Blaffer Owen’s architectural, art and cultural philanthropy. New Harmony is renowned as the site of two successive Utopian settlements during the 19th century: the Harmonists and the Owenites. More than 30 structures from the Harmonist and Owenite communities have been preserved alongside other historic buildings that Jane Blaffer Owen moved to the town and striking modern works she commissioned by Richard Meier and Philip Johnson.

Advance registration is strongly encouraged for this event.

Architectural historian Stephen Fox's new book The Architecture of Birdsall P. Briscoe examines Houston architect Birdsall P. Briscoe's country houses, offering a glimpse into the architect's methods and analyzing how Briscoe built a "social architecture" to frame his clientele during periods of economic expansion and contraction. Join Fox for a special History in Print author event as he recaps Briscoe’s significant work, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

Houston Community College’s Fashion Archive is a hidden gem: a collection of clothing and accessories that dates back to 1728, offering a look at nearly three centuries of trends in apparel and design. Join Preservation Houston and Erica Hubbard, director of library services at HCC’s Central College, for a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating collection during an online program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 8.

Join Preservation Houston for the 2022 Good Brick Tour Opening Reception at the Junior League of Houston on Thursday evening, October 27. Explore the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the Bayou City through some of its most iconic homes and buildings. The opening reception will highlight the 2022 Good Brick Tour and Preservation Houston's efforts to celebrate and protect historic properties in communities of color.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

When it was built near Angleton in the early 1970s, the House of the Century — a weekend getaway for Houston art patron Marilyn Oshman and her family — was a vision of the future, with a curvy concrete shell, Plexiglas entrance tunnel and snoopy built-in furniture. The interiors were ripped out after a 1985 flood, and today the house is a vine-covered shell. But there is still nothing quite like the quirky remnant of ’70s architectural counterculture, which comes with its own set of preservation questions: Should the house be restored or left to rot, moved or replicated? Join author and architecture critic Mark Lamster for an online program looking at the history and future of this one-of-a-kind structure. This program is presented in partnership with Houston Mod and the Society for Commercial Archaeology.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

The story of Houston’s founding and growth is one of the most remarkable urban histories in America. Established as a frontier capital in 1836, the city relied on a mix of ambition, dedication and (at times) sheer luck to transform itself into a regional trade center and, later, an international port and energy hub. Join us for this online overview of Bayou City history with PH Programs Director Jim Parsons.

Please note that advance registration is required for this free online program.

Some of the families that made the greatest impact on Houston’s history now rest at Glenwood Cemetery. Learn about some of the remarkable Glenwood families who were active in the Bayou City’s business community during an online program Saturday morning, June 18, featuring Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons and Glenwood Executive Director Richard Ambrus.

Please note that advance registration is required for this free online program.

Historic Glenwood Cemetery is the resting place of some families that made lasting contributions to Houston's civic and cultural life. Learn some of their stories during an online program Saturday morning, July 16, featuring Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons and Glenwood Executive Director Richard Ambrus.

This event is open to current Preservation Houston/Pier & Beam members.

Preservation Houston members are invited to celebrate the organization’s work over the past year, welcome incoming members of the Board of Directors and get a close look at a carefully restored historic building during PH’s 2022 Member Reception and Meeting at Christ Church Cathedral on Tuesday evening, June 14.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

Preservation Houston has presented Good Brick Awards since 1979 to recognize outstanding historic preservation projects — and we’re inviting you to join us online at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, to learn more about this year’s inspiring group of Good Brick winners.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

The 1970s were a transitional time for the United States as economic instability and social unrest eroded postwar confidence and cities grappled with the effects of continuing suburbanization. Architecture also changed, moving away from the crisp modernism of the 1950s and ’60s and embracing new forms, materials and construction techniques. Discover how the decade reshaped Houston’s urban landscape during this online program.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

Join Preservation Houston and Margaret Culbertson, co-author of theWaxahachie Architecture Guidebook, for an online History in Print program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 22, exploring the buildings of Waxahachie and what they reveal about evolving design sensibilities, an evolving economy and generations of social change.

Please note that advance registration is required for this online program.

Join Preservation Houston and authors Nancy McCoy and David Woodcock on Tuesday evening, November 9, for an online History in Print program featuring their book Architecture That Speaks: S.C.P. Vosper and Ten Remarkable Buildings at Texas A&M.

Please note that advance registration is required for this free online program.

Houston’s history has deep ties to the oilfield, so it’s no surprise that the lives of many Houstonians buried at historic Glenwood Cemetery involve oil. Learn more about these larger-than-life figures during an online program at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 18, featuring Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons and Glenwood Cemetery Executive Director Richard Ambrus.

Please note that advance registration is required for this free online program.

From elaborate statuary to crisp modern memorials, the monuments at Houston’s historic Glenwood Cemetery tell the story of 150 years of changing tastes, rising fortunes and varied personal motivations. Discover what we can learn from this art for the ages during an online program at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 21, featuring Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons and Glenwood Cemetery Executive Director Richard Ambrus.

Please note that advance registration is required for this free online program.

The women buried at Houston’s historic Glenwood Cemetery made their marks in fields ranging from business and civic leadership to the military and the movies. Learn about their lives, careers and impacts on the Bayou City — and beyond — during an online program at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17, featuring Preservation Houston Programs Director Jim Parsons, historian Betty Chapman and Glenwood Cemetery Executive Director Richard Ambrus.