The Jamison Building
Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mississippi-born Dr. Garling Urih Jamison, Sr., (1881-1951) opened this structure in 1930 as Texarkana's first black business and professional office building. Designed by the Texarkana architectural firm of Witt, Seibert, and Halsey, it features an interesting and decorative use of brick. The Jamison Building became a center of economic, cultural, and social life in the city's black community and has remained an important local landmark. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Opened in 1930 by Mississippi-born Dr. Garling Urih Jamison, this brick building was Texarkana's first office building for Black businesses and professionals. Designed by a local architectural firm with a distinctive decorative use of brick, it quickly became a center of economic, cultural, and social life for the city's Black community. It has remained an important local landmark ever since.
Why it matters
In the era of segregation, buildings like the Jamison were vital engines of Black economic and civic life, offering professional space that white-owned downtowns denied.
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Related people
- · Garling Urih Jamison
Themes & tags
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