San Jacinto building on HCC campus named to the National Register of Historic Places

The San Jacinto Memorial Building on the central campus of Houston Community College is currently undergoing a $60 million renovation that includes clearing its interior to its core.

The 100-year-old, neo-classical and art deco San Jacinto Memorial Building on the central campus of Houston Community College has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

The designation came from the National Park Service in Washington in December 2012, according to an HCC press release.

The three-story structure was constructed in 1914 and is currently undergoing a $60 million restoration and renovation. College officials say that the building will reopen in late fall 2013.

"It is a fitting recognition of a facility that has spawned so many productive citizens for the city of Houston," said William Harmon, president of HCC, in the press release. "We look forward to returning to the building and educating future generations of students."

According to Carlyn Hammons, a historian with the Texas Historical Commission, "The San Jacinto Memorial Building's strong architectural design and its educational significance to Houston were the chief considerations for its listing on the national register," says the release.

The building was originally constructed as South End Junior High School in 1914. It was converted into a high school in 1926 by the Houston Independent School District and received two wings of the original style in 1928 and 1936.

The building hosted its last class as a high school in 1970 and, in 1971, it became part of the Houston Community College and was known thereafter as the San Jacinto Memorial Building.

As the centerpiece of the HCC Central Campus, the building is part of a college-wide renovation of the whole campus and surrounding streets. Houston Community College's main campus is at 3100 Main St., Houston.

For more information, call 713-718-2000 or visit www.hccs.edu.

HCC is a singly-accredited, open-admission, community college offering associate degrees, certificates, workforce training and lifelong learning to 75,000 students each semester. It is made up of six college campuses throughout the Houston area.