DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm passing it straight along to you. Way back in 1842, an Irishman named John Kennedy rolled into Houston. Born in 1819, he'd already learned a trade — the man was a baker.
Now, he didn't just set up shop once and call it a day. No, Kennedy worked his way around the city, operating at one location, then another, getting a feel for the place, building something. And then, around 1860, he made his move.
He commissioned the construction of a brand-new building — two stories, solid brick — purpose-built for a steam bakery. That was not a small thing. Steam power in a bakery meant you were serious.
Kennedy was serious. From there, he went on to establish other operations and grew into one of the leading businessmen in all of Houston. He passed in 1878, but that building — that two-story brick building on its original site — it didn't go anywhere.
It stayed in the Kennedy family. Through the decades, through everything Houston became, it stood. The family held onto it all the way until 1970.
Think about that. One of the oldest structures in the city, still right where John Kennedy put it, still carrying the family name across more than a century. An Irishman arrived, learned the city, built something to last — and brother, it lasted.
What the marker says
Irish native John Kennedy (1819-78) came to Houston in 1842. A baker, he operated a store at other locations in the city before commissioning the construction of this building about 1860 for a steam bakery. Kennedy later established other operations and became a leading businessman of Houston. One of the oldest structures in the city on its original site, the two-story brick building remained in the Kennedy family until 1970. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980