Irish immigrant Hugh Waddell (1842-1915) arrived in Houston in 1873 and by 1882 he established his own downtown retail business selling furniture, carpets, window dressings, refrigerators, and other goods. The business grew to contain multiple buildings, including a four-story warehouse on Sampson Street. Built in 1912 by the Dallas-based architectural firm C.D. Hill & Company, this rectangular plan, load-bearing, industrial-style masonry building with its flat roof behind a stepped parapet was intended to be the largest warehouse in Houston. Waddell's House Furnishing Company closed its doors in 1988 after more than a century in business. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2018