Tyler’s architectural heritage draws attention from Houston Mod

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The Houston architectural community is taking an interest in the preservation and adaptive reuse of notable modernist buildings in downtown Tyler.

“We haven’t always been good about taking our history, architectural legacy that is, with us when we grow,” Houston Mod president Steve Curry said. “[In Tyler] the growth isn’t the kind that pressures things to be replaced so readily, so a lot more of the architectural legacy remains.”

About 20 members of Houston Mod, a nonprofit organization that advocates for mid-century modern architecture preservation, toured downtown Tyler locations rich in history on April 26.

Houston Mod’s advocacy includes sponsoring lectures and authors, publishing books and hosting tours of areas all over Texas.

Curry said mid-century architecture is what some call “recent history” because it was built from post-World War II through the 1970s. It was a time when the U.S. had an optimistic and expansive attitude, looking to mix European and American styles.

“It was a special time in the history of architecture,” Curry said. “It represented a new way to live. It was a break from the traditions of the past.”

The group toured places in Tyler being restored to glory including the Greyhound Inn, The Wilcox, The Carlton, The Fair and the Lindsey buildings, visited the Tyler Museum of Art and drove through the Azalea District.

“We saw a range of historical styles in Tyler,” Curry said.

He noted the impressive variety of architectural styles and spaces being remodeled for adaptive reuse, a term used to describe repurposing buildings.

“It’s finding a function that works for a building different from its original, let’s say, program or purpose, but in doing that, you find a new life for the building, and the building gets to remain as part of the fabric of the community,” Curry said.

He said Tyler is unique due to the scale of the downtown projects and the pride and connection residents have to one another and the structures. In Houston, it’s taken a long time for people to warm up to the idea of rejuvenating downtown for residential use like it’s happening in Tyler.

“It’s creative in the way that these buildings were creative in their day to find a new use for them,” Curry said. “It’s environmentally preferable, I would say, and it lets the architecture legacy remain where it would otherwise be lost.”

The organization is open to members from all over, not just Houston. People can visit the Houston Mod website at houstonmod.org.