Commissioned by Jesse H. Jones, the Gulf Building opened in 1929. Upon its completion, the building was the tallest west of the Mississippi. Wednesday's designation isn't the first such recognition for the building. It's also a City of Houston Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The building remained the tallest in Houston until the early 1960s. Some original tenants still call the building home, said Mike Ballases, chairman of JPMorgan Chase, Houston region. 1. The house of Charlotte Baldwin Allen, wife of one of the founders of Houston, had originally been located on the site. By the time of Mrs. Allen's death, in 1895, the neighborhood was already in transition from residential to commercial use. 2. Two annexes, one of 13 stories and the other of 16, were added after World War II but are freestanding structures and not attached to the building proper. 3. Atop the 37th level was a viewing platform which housed the Jesse H. Jones Aeronautical Beacon. This beacon was described as two searchlights, one pointed in a vertical position emitting 15,000 candlepower and another pointed in a horizontal position emitting 8,000 candlepower. It was touted as an aid to government mail planes. 4. Also mounted on the roof of the building was an observation deck equipped with a telescope. It was said that on a clear day Galveston was easily visible. 5. From 1965 to 1974 a 53 foot high rotating sign with the name GULF was mounted atop the building with 4,700 square feet of display area and 7,350 lineal feet of neon tubing. 6. Pneumatic tubes, like those found in old department stores or in drive-up bank windows were installed in the building. Leather pouches from this system are said to be on display on the 17th and 19th floors. 7. The great window above the Travis Street entrance, with its stained-glass depiction of the Battle of San Jacinto, was installed in 1960. 8. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until 1931 (surpassed by a Kansas City building), and the tallest building in Houston until 1963 when it was surpassed by the Humble Building. 9. The three original tenants were to be the National Bank of Commerce, the Gulf Oil companies, and the Sakowitz Brothers store. 10. The Gulf Building was one of only two Art Deco skyscrapers erected in Houston. Marker Number: 14042 Marker Text: Gulf Building Prominent real estate developer, publisher, statesman and banker Jesse H. Jones opened the Gulf Building in 1929 with Gulf Oil, National Bank of Commerce, and Sakowitz Brothers as primary tenants. Alfred C. Finn designed the 430foot high Art Deco edifice with a six-story base topped by a tall tower that diminishes in size as it rises. The 37-floor, steel-frame structure remained Houston's tallest skyscraper for 34 years. In 1986, the building, then owned by a successor bank, underwent a $50 million restoration. It was renamed the JPMorgan Chase Building in 2000 and continues to be a monument to the city's growth, modernity and financial prosperity. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2007 Marker is property of the state of Texas

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