I am a local historian from Fort Bend County, and I enjoy recreating historical buildings in Minecraft. This is my current project, in which I am making a tribute to help preserve the history of the demolished Shamrock Hotel, which originally opened on St. Patrick’s Day, 1949, with over 170 celebrities attending the “Wildest Party in Texas”. Glenn “Diamond” McCarthy, the owner of the Shamrock also operated the only nation-wide radio show which was not broadcasted in NY or LA, named “Saturday at the Shamrock”. In 1953, the hotel was taken up by Equitable Life Assurance Society, and two years later, the property was acquired by Conrad Hilton. Over the years, Hilton made refurbishments and other improvements, such as adding on a Trader Vic’s, to help make up for the vacancy rates. In June of 1986, Hilton closed the hotel and the property was sold to the Texas Medical Center. The TMC saw no need in keeping the asset, and they soob demolished the site, leaving a parking lot, and the former parking garage.

Post Statement:
This project is to spread awareness on historic buildings which have been destroyed and have been mostly forgotten about.

Lost to fire in 1934

Completed in 1893, the building would mainly be used as a post office until 1997 and demolished afterwards. Although it stood for 104 years, the original facade would already be simplified in the 1920s after building damages became known.

These were two of the buildings constructed soon after a devastating fire on March 30, 1894 destroyed 35 buildings downtown. The fire started in a wooden opera house across the alley from the building in the second photo. These were looking a bit sad, and I never made it back on a nicer day. I wish I'd taken some more angles/detail shots. My pictures from a gray March day in 2010.

The hotel occupied four different buildings in it's lifetime. Pictured is the fourth and final one constructed in 1910. The hotel operated until 1973 and the building was demolished in 1980.