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    Downtown Houston - Main Street/Market Square Historic District


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    Main Street/Market Square Historic District is a historic district in downtown Houston, Texas that includes the Market Square of Houston. It includes buildings nearby, as well as the square itself. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

    Two brothers, Augustus and John Allen arrived from New York to Galveston in 1831. Five years later the brothers saw the great potential of the bayou and land located North of Galveston. The two brothers invested heavily into the area eventually naming the place Houston. The Market Square Historic District is considered the spot where the Allen Brothers founded Houston. Within several years of establishing the Market Square, the city of Houston begin to climb to national prominence.

    The Market Square Historic District in Houston sits between four streets and is the home of nightclubs, restaurants, historical buildings, bars, and much more. The Market Square Historic District has over 150 years of history that is foretold through the unique architecture, old benches, and artifacts that have weathered the years. The Market Square was the original Houston business district but over time the district transformed into an historical area where interesting architecture can be viewed. The Market Square derived its name from its roots as an open air produce market in the year 1854. The city of Houston began to grow around the center of the Market Square and over the years was recognized as a blossoming national city. Although the Market Square has maintained much of its historic legacy, the area has gone through several restoration and landscaping projects.

    The Market Square Historic District has places for dining and sightseeing and many of the more contemporary restaurants and places are named directly after the Market Square itself; such as the Market Square Bar and Grill; an American restaurant that serves old fashioned burgers to hungry patrons walking through the area. The Market Square Historic District is also home to La Carafe. La Carafe attests firmly to the historical value of the Market Square by being the oldest bar in the Houston area. The commercial building the bar resides in is so old that it's listed on the national register for Historic places. The worn, peeling, shadowy concrete and solid structure of the building clearly portrays the authenticity of the Market Square District.

    Restaurants and places like La Carafe are not the only reason tourists frequent the Market Square Historic District in Houston. The historical district also offers incredible nightlife that caters to both the older and younger crowd. The nightlife within the Historic district of Houston has some officials and residents worried that the integrity of Market Square Historic District will be compromised as it becomes a place bombarded by youth who simply want to hop from club to club. Since 1997, attempts to delay the openings of new bars and the closing of old ones has helped the city and the area regain some of its original vision for Market Square Historic District.

    Market Square Historic District is complete with turn of the 20th century buildings that are well preserved. The beautiful architecture that radiates from the buildings turns the district into a great sightseeing area in Houston. The buildings are built in Victorian, Art-Deco, and Beaux Arts styles. It was at the Market Square that the city of Houston dedicated its first public monument.


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