One of the area's oldest businesses—Tin Hall—is facing the risk of closing its doors after nearly 125 years of service, owner Fred Stockton said.
Tin Hall has been in the Stockton family for generations as a music and dance venue for private parties, weddings, concerts and special events, but it may have to close its doors because of a decline in business and rising prices.
"We've always continuously renovated the property," Stockton said. "The building is still in pretty good shape. I could spend the money to make it better, but what's the attraction? I'm not going to let the termites win. I have to make a decision: Do I keep putting money into it and wait for business to turn around, or sell?"
Stockton is scheduled to renew his liquor license in February, at which time he said he will decide whether to stay open for another two years or sell the business. Several offers have been made on the property, but most parties are interested in the land and not the structure itself, Stockton said.
When Harris County Precinct 3 re-routed Huffmeister Road to connect with Telge Road several years ago, Tin Hall found itself situated on a no-outlet street adjacent to a new apartment complex development, which may have contributed to a decline in business, Stockton said.
"I'm the only [business] on Tin Hall Road," he said. "Since we have been located at the end of this dead end road, our business started dying and continues to spiral downward."
In 1997, engineering firm Thompson Professional Group analyzed the road systems in the precinct and submitted proposed plans to the engineering division of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department to assist with transportation safety in the area. The section of Huffmeister Road was re-designed and opened around 2006, according to Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack's office.
"The study showed that the way the alignment was in that type of intersection was a public safety issue," Radack said. "The actual plans for constructing the roads in that area were the result."
Huffmeister Road has undergone several renovations in past decades including extending the road past Cypress North Houston in the 1980s and the expansion from two lanes to four in 1996. After the realignment in the mid–2000s, the old section of the road was renamed Tin Hall Road and was blocked off at the east end. It was thought to give the dance hall more private access, according to the West Houston Archives.
Certain unincorporated areas around Texas have historic landmark commissions in place that consider aspects of historical architecture, archaeology and preservation.
"I purposely did not certify [Tin Hall] as a historical structure because if I make it a marker I will never be able to sell it," Stockton said. "It's a great idea, but once you think it all the way through, it's like ordering a big fat steak that you can't eat and you can't sell."
With about 24,000 square feet of space and a 4,400-square-foot dance floor, the multi-level venue can host more than 1,200 guests.
"We do public dances once a month and have an event planned for Thanksgiving and a New Years Eve party," Stockton said.