The Houston Ice & Brewing Company was founded by Hugh Hamilton in 1892 and was one of Houston’s most substantial and profitable businesses at the turn of the century. By 1910, the company’s complex encompassed more than twenty acres to the north and south of the Buffalo Bayou. The Magnolia Brewery Building which stands 715 Franklin Avenue is one of the two surviving structures from the expansive complex. The four story Italianate structure was originally designed by Houston architect Eugene Heiner and completed in 1893. In 1910, the structure was renovated by H.C. Cooke and Co., to house the brewery’s executive offices and the Magnolia Café, the brewery’s tap room.

 The Houston Ice & Brewing Company, better known as the Magnolia Brewery, boasted top-of-the-line machinery and impressive production numbers. By the late 1890s, the company was able to produce 100 tons of ice and 60,000 barrels of beer per year. These numbers, however, could not be sustained.

 The decline of Houston Ice & Brewing Company began the years of prohibition. Prohibition forced the brewery to limit is manufacturing to ice and to change its name to Houston Ice & Cold Storage. The company’s main source of income was eliminated. With beer brewing no longer a function of the company, many of the complex’s buildings were no longer needed and were consequently leased or sold. The company struggled to survive throughout over the years, but eventually closed its doors in 1950. The Magnolia Brewery Building changed hands and housed various businesses, but gradually fell into disrepair during the late 1960s. In 1979, Bart Truxillo, a Houston preservation architect, purchased the property, which was then bank owned. The bank considered the structure a tear down and assumed Mr. Truxillo purchased the structure for the land value only and that the Magnolia Brewery Building would soon be demolished. Mr. Truxillo, however, had other plans.

Mr. Truxillo appreciated the rich history of the Magnolia Brewery Building and recognized its value as a piece of Houston’s past. Shortly after purchasing the structure, he began the painstaking process of restoring it to its former glory. Mr. Truxillo restored the original leaded stained glass windows, which showcase images of magnolias, along with the cypress frames surrounding the windows. The ornate plaster and woodwork of the interior, along with original floor and wall tiles were also restored. In the early 1980s, the upstairs portion of the building was open to the public as the Bismark Restaurant. Today, the second floor of the structure houses the Magnolia Ballroom. The circular rotunda that can be seen from the exterior of the structure is supported by the ornate Corinthian columns of the ballroom.

Due in large part to Mr. Truxillo’s dedication and effort, The Magnolia Brewery Building is now a City of Houston Protected Landmark, a Registered Texas Landmark, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure in the Main Street/Market Square Historic District. Bart Truxillo has restored other Houston structures, including an 1893 Queen Anne Stick Victorian house at Harvard and 18th street which he called home. Mr. Truxillo served on The Heritage Society’s Buildings Committee and lent his experience and skills to preservation efforts in Sam Houston Park.