Welcome to the historic Dean’s Downtown! Previously called “The Kiam”, Dean’s was first built in 1893 and was at the time the tallest building in Houston at a whopping 5 stories. It was the first building to use a steel frame construction, and in 1901 it became the third building to have an electric elevator in America (first one in Texas)! Thus, the beginning of the modern skyscraper was born in Houston. The Kiam was the first clothing store in Houston to allow women to shop.
Dean’s Downtown’s latest makeover occurred in November 2013, when its current owners transformed the former dive bar and full-time live-music venue into a more traditional bar that celebrates Houston’s history and the history of the downtown building that houses it, which is more than 100 years old. This change is just one of many to occur throughout the history of the space, which started out as Liam’s Department store and later became Dean’s Credit Clothing, to which the old neon sign outside can attest. Even ledger books from the ’40s that Dean used to keep track of his customers’ accounts is on display. Some of the bar’s new drinks, such as the Woolworth or Penny’s Nichol, recall other long-closed downtown Houston businesses.
