Corpus Christi has a plethora of history. Even its name, which is Latin for body of Christ, was given to the area 300 years before officially becoming a settlement. Some areas showing signs of age may have changes in their future, whether it be rejuvenation, replacement, or left only in memories and photographs.
It is nearly impossible to overlook the old Nieces County Courthouse. The county’s third courthouse was built in 1914 and had an additional wing added in 1930, making it 80,000 square feet with 6 stories used for offices, courtrooms, and a jail. An even larger courthouse was built in 1977 and this building has sat vacant ever since. Ownership passed through many hands before going back to the county in 2002 when a 25 year preservation easement was granted along with $1.9M in funds to rehabilitate a portion of its exterior. Recommendations were made in document from 2019 to build a boutique hotel costing $68.5M which includes paying off back taxes ($1,631,031), buying property for $1, rehab costs, and creating 2 additions for more rooms. There are also costs which this project would attempt to avoid, such as relocating its neighboring fire station and expediting removal of an adjacent highway bridge. Of course, this is still just a proposed plan with no buyer. The preservation agreement expires in 2027 when some people have an interest in seeing everything demolished.
The Hoover Hotel is a neat little building not far from the courthouse. It was built and 1925 and originally known as Surf Apartments. This building has been vacant for several years but was recently purchased with plans to renovate for apartments in the near future.
A section of Corpus Christi previously known as “Northside” is currently comprised of a handful of scattered homes, several more empty plots of former houses, a couple closed buildings, and a construction site. Hillcrest and Washington-Coles were segregated neighborhoods surrounded by oil refineries. The historic lack of resources didn’t change much, even after invisible lines were erased. Creation of a new bridge with more clearance for large freight ships entering the harbor will reroute freeway traffic directly through Hillcrest and Washington-Coles. Residents deemed as being “impacted” were given offers to relocate. Unfortunately not everyone qualified and some just didn’t want to leave their homes of many years. One remaining structure with historical significance is the Ebony Recreation Spot, originally known as the Skylark Club. An abundance of memories created here, especially in times when these residents were closed off from the rest of their city. The dancehall hosted musicians like B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Although it isn’t directly impacted by highway construction, time and weather has taken its toll and the city would like to see it taken down. Meanwhile, the building’s owner is trying to have it added to the list of historic sites for protection.
Preservation efforts are rarely easy. Thankfully there are a lot of people who care enough to fight for keeping history alive and hopefully will succeed.
