Contributed by: Preservation Houston
Organization: Preservation Houston
Dated Posted: October 21, 2026
Website: Visit External Site

Preservation Houston is seeking answers from the new owner of the Kirby Mansion at 2000 Smith Street in Midtown after a city sewer disconnection permit (one of the requirements for a demolition permit) was issued October 14 and asbestos abatement was scheduled for October 27 through November 6. Neither filing confirms demolition, and abatement can also precede rehabilitation, but together they have raised concern.

The 36-room Tudor Revival mansion, one of the few surviving houses from Houston’s once-elite South End, began as an 1894 house later bought by lumber magnate John Henry Kirby and was remodeled to its current form by architect James Ruskin Bailey in 1928. It has no local, state or federal designation, and Houston’s Protected Landmark process must be started by the owner. Preservation Houston has asked to meet before abatement begins, to discuss incentives for rehabilitation and reuse, and to document the building.

More information: preservationhouston.org