Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Nacogdoches: clinic, humidity)

[albert soliz]

Originally Posted by Nix54

I think the Milam bldg was the first building with ac..... first US air-conditioned high-rise office building

The Milam Building was the first high-rise air-conditioned office building in the United States. Many others followed suit. The air-conditioning design team was led by Willis H. Carrier, founder of the Carrier Engineering Corporation, in cooperation with architect George Willis, engineer M.L Diver, and contractor L.T. Wright and Company. The system provided 300 tons of refrigeration capacity with chilled water, piped to air-handling fans serving all floors. The original unit was updated in 1945 and further modernized in 1989.

When it opened in January 1928, this 21-story building was also the tallest brick and concrete-reinforced structure in the United States. Stores, auditoriums, and theaters had been air conditioned earlier, but high rises differ in that the air conditioning is part of the original design, in order to allow for ducting as well as air handling and control equipment.

In 1929, the maximum indoor summer temperature was 80 F with a relative humidity not exceeding 55 percent; in winter, 70 F or above with a relative humidity of 45 percent. Carrier studied local weather bureau records and the sensitivity of San Antonians to determine comfortable atmospheric conditions. Further factors adding to the complexity of the design included heat-generating exposure, such as the problem of radiant heat from the sun as it traveled from one side of the building in the morning to the other in the evening. Good air distribution, the re-use of return air, air-leakage concerns, and individual control were other design considerations.

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-...ioned-building

Was the ROBERT E.LEE hotel the first in SAN ANTONIO to be A/C'd?CURIOUS

[Nix54]

I remember the red neon sign in the 60's all lit up.... Robt E Lee Hotel Air Conditioned.

[*mud*]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

.


First air conditioned building in SA was the Smith Young Tower,

********

Yes, there was parking in front of Mi Tierras. I don't remember the name of the street


********

.
.
.
Smith Young Tower was 1929.

street in front of Mi Tierras was Produce Row. same as it is called now..
.
.
.

Originally Posted by Nix54

.

I think the Milam bldg was the first building with ac..... first US air-conditioned high-rise office building

********

.
.
.
exactly right.

technical read here.... https://www.asme.org/getmedia/b0ab0f...-Building.aspx
.
.
.

[SATX56]

The Milam Building was the first air conditioned high rise building in the U.S. I read this way back...

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-...ioned-building

The Nix Professional Building is one of the many high rise buildings constructed in San Antonio in the 1920’s- The Nix is really a hospital building posing as an
offi ce building. It’s clad in polychrome terra-cotta ornament, one of the best examples of this material in the city. At the time of its completion the Nix hospital
was the tallest and largest hospital in the United States. In addition it was the fi rst hospital to have central air-conditioning through the building, and was also the
fi rst building to function both as a hospital, professional building, and parking garage. The building was designed to mask the hospital, nestled in the middle of
downtown as a high rise office buidling.

Quote from http://www.aiasa.org/downloads/Websi...wl-1_Final.pdf

Wording is everything in these "firsts".

[Nix54]

Originally Posted by SATX56

The Milam Building was the first air conditioned high rise building in the U.S. I read this way back...

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-...ioned-building

There may even still be a an old announcement in one of the display windows in the lobby of the Milam Bldg boasting of the AC.

[Tikijane]

I think North Star was the first major mall in San Antonio. It was built circa 1961. McCreless and Wonderland were definitely in place by 1962. Central Park was built in 1967 and opened around then or 1968; it was anchored by a high end Handy Andy, Mickey Mantle's "Home Cooking" (?) restaurant, and Sears and Dillard's. My favorite stores (I was a student at Churchill HS) were 2 very small clothing stores. One was called "Hang it On" (or something like that) and its sister store (name is back in my mind's archives somewhere!). The Fox Central Park Cinema was built around then - definitely there in 1970 when I work there as a cashier/ticket sales.

I bought my first Jimi Hendrix Lp at a big Woolworth's type store at Central Park, Sept 1968 - starts with a G (not Gibsons) but I cannot remember its name right now! Old age sucks!

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Nix54

There may even still be a an old announcement in one of the display windows in the lobby of the Milam Bldg boasting of the AC.

Maybe so! I've been there for several births over the years. When the Landing was in it's basement it's believed that O'Neil Ford and Clint Eastwood spent time there.

[Nix54]

Originally Posted by SATX56

The Milam Building was the first air conditioned high rise building in the U.S. I read this way back...

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-...ioned-building


Quote from http://www.aiasa.org/downloads/Websi...wl-1_Final.pdf

Wording is everything in these "firsts".

Parking garage? Where was it? That old parking garage across the street from the Express News?

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Tikijane

I think North Star was the first major mall in San Antonio. It was built circa 1961. McCreless and Wonderland were definitely in place by 1962. Central Park was built in 1967 and opened around then or 1968; it was anchored by a high end Handy Andy, Mickey Mantle's "Home Cooking" (?) restaurant, and Sears and Dillard's. My favorite stores (I was a student at Churchill HS) were 2 very small clothing stores. One was called "Hang it On" (or something like that) and its sister store (name is back in my mind's archives somewhere!). The Fox Central Park Cinema was built around then - definitely there in 1970 when I work there as a cashier/ticket sales.

I bought my first Jimi Hendrix Lp at a big Woolworth's type store at Central Park, Sept 1968 - starts with a G (not Gibsons) but I cannot remember its name right now! Old age sucks!

There was a Globe Shopping City. But that was on San Pedro St.

[TrapperL]

Nix54, thanks for the post. I wasn't aware that the Milam was even built before the SY Tower. But the article is not exactly right. Carrier used a water chiller to achieve the cooling effect. His invention did not use the new gas called Freon that was invented by Migdley in 1928. The Milam is what is called an evaporative cooled building, the name coming from Carrier himself. It uses a water chiller and the chilled water is then piped throughout the building to a radiator where fans would circulate the cooled air. Carrier apparently could get low enough temps from his unit to also be able to control humidity, an important factor in the cooling effect. The SY Tower is the first fully air conditioned office building using the new, much safer gas, freon. But in researching this, I found that it was not the first commercial BUILDING in the US to be mechanically cooled. That honor actually goes to the J L Hudson Store in Detroit Mi. in 1924, before either of the San Antonio buildings where open. This building used 3 centrifuge type water chillers invented by Carrier.
So I guess we both got to live and learn today.