Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-04
ESPERSON WILL
BUILDTHEATRE,
Cost A MILLION
Head II Rio Grande Gulf Cor
poration to Make Big In
vestment at Houston
TO BE II STORIES HIGH
Work to Begin April l-Will
Rush to Completion
TO BE II STORIES HIGH

Rio Grande Gulf Corporation, which
is about to put down three test wells
east of Brownsville, and who also Is
interested with others in recent pur-
chase of business property at Twelfth
and Elizabeth streets, in Brownsville.
will soon erect History theater AMI
office building in Houston. according
to the Houston Post, which says:
Houston is to have the handsomest
theater in the United States, and
along with it will be built History
office building that will overtop the
Carter building. This statement was
authorized Monday by Niels Esper
son, well-known Houston oil man,
who will build both theater and office
building.
The structure will cost consider
ably more than 81 100000, it is esti-
mated. Entrance TO it will be on
Main street, between the Bender no.
tel and the Carter building, while il
will reach through the block to Travis
street, and around the Carter build
ing to Rusk avenue. 1t will face $50
feet on Travis street and / so feet on
Rusk avenue. The Main street en-
trance will be So feet wide, while
the depth through the block is $50
feet.
The theater proper will be on the
big square on the corner of Rusk ave
nue. and Travis street. The seven
teen stories of offices will be above
the great Main street entrance and
not over the auditorium of the the
ater.
Work on breaking ground. for he
big structure will begin April /. and
it is hoped to have it ready for oc-
cupancy by January /, 1921. The
residences on Rusk avenue and one
on Fannin street, together with two
temporary buildings on Main street
between the Bender hotel and the
Carter building will have to be re-
moved before the work can be begun.
Elabotate architectural plans for the
theater and office building have been
drawn by Johns Eberson, architect,
of Chicago. The entrance and the
theater will be literally works of art
while the office building above the
entrance will be modern and splen.
didly equipped in every respect.
The entrance will be through
vaulted passageway finished in mar
bic. Great winding staircases will
lead from The first floor TO the mez
canine floor, which will form com
plete loop around the entrance hall
There will be lounging rooms anc
rest rooms on the mezzanine floor
A view of the entrance hall may be
had through the open arches, while
entrance to the balcony Of the theatei
will be directly from the mezZanine
floor.
To one side of the main entrance
will be a battery Of elevators, whil'
the space on the other side will bt
occupied by store.
The theater proper will be what
Houston has been hoping for so long
only little better. 1t has been plan
ned especially to accommodate th'
legitimate drama, although it vii
also be available for pictures. Whei
completed it will seat more than 3OOt
people, and so numerous will be the
exits that it will be possible to empt,
the theater of a capacity audience
within five minutes.
The stage, the boxes and the inter
ior of the theater generally will b'
everything that art can make them
1t was stated that there may be larg
er theaters in America, but that Their
viii be none finer or more beautiful
on the whole North American CONT
nent.
Mr.. Esperson is erecting the thea
ter and office building entirely OF
his own initiative, and it will be own
ed and controlled by him. Mr.. Esper.
SON has long been prominent in OIL
circles of Houston and the nation, his
operations having been chiefly IN the
Humble and Ranger fields.