Most tenants were turned away from the building Tuesday morning by security personnel. Power remains on in the building with the smell of smoke and aftermath still coming from the building.
The JP Morgan Chase building stands 430 feet high and it cost an estimated $6 million to build. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until the 1931, when a taller building in Kansas City was erected.
The building opened in the year of the stock market crash of 1929, yet another monument commissioned by legendary Houston philanthropist Jesse Jones.
Water damage according to one tenant seemed to have spared the first floor lobby, renowned for its original art deco embellishments.
Tune in to Eyewitness News this afternoon for a full report on the history of the building.
