About Hickory Street Annex
Hickory Street Annex is a collection of 100 year old historical buildings that form a charming courtyard, nestled next to downtown Dallas, making us a hidden gem. Your special day will be a fun and memorable event that people will talk about for years. Surrounded with huge windows, tons of natural light, views of downtown, backdrops with textures and greenery, and the convenience of being near the wonderful city of Dallas, it is the perfect setting for your wedding.
Our Team
Michelle Meyer
Michelle has been at the Annex since 1999, first working for an architecture firm and later starting the venue for special events. She has talents that include designing the layout and decor of the venue spaces, planning floor plans for furniture for each and every event, and coordinating details that make your event stand out from the rest. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with her husband, son and two fluffy standard poodles.
David Mondragon
David is new here at The Annex. He can fix almost anything, and these buildings are old so they need lots of attention. When you visit, you might find him on the roof replacing luminaries, digging in the garden planting seasonal flowers, or mowing the lawn getting things pretty for our weekend events. David has a passion for historic buildings and takes pride in caring for our 100 year old Hickory Street Annex.
Gary Kaelson
Gary owns the Annex! He purchased it in 1997, while his family thought he was crazy, he saw something special. Over two decades, he has taken each space, bit by bit, and trasformed the "pile of bricks" (what his family called it) into a real hidden gem just outside of downtown Dallas. We have people that stop in just to see what this place is, they tell us they saw the luminarias atop the ceramic tiled parapets and had to know what we do here!
Our Story
Located in Deep Ellum at the corner of Hickory Street and Second Avenue, near the Pearlstone Grain Elevator, this complex of buildings was originally a distribution center for Gulf Oil Company.
Constructed in 1921, it served Gulf Oil Corporation’s North Texas region by providing automobile maintenance facilities for Gulf’s vehicles and storage space for its customer and automobile products.
The seven buildings in the complex retain their original character – an office building, a pumphouse, an automobile service building, and a large warehouse building. While most of the buildings are one story, the warehouse is two stories with a full basement. It has the “Gulf Oil Corporation” ghost sign on the east side, visible from the freeway. The ceramic capped parapets provide character to the complex, while the tongue and groove roofs, which are supported by a massive double span of iron trusses, make the property an engineering masterpiece.
Gulf Oil Corporation moved from this site in the late 1950’s. From the 1950’s to the 1980’s, it was the home of C.H.Collier Company. This company maintained and repaired hydraulic systems on forklifts. In the mid 80’s, Elm Development and 5/828 Properties, Inc. purchased the property. Hickory Street Annex housed a variety of occupants, including Moonstruck Theater and the Deep Ellum Opera Theatre. Gary Kaelson purchased the property in 1997 and maintains the property for his tenants.
Today, the property has evolved from an oil distribution center to a thriving new creative community with many of the spaces leased out to successful small businesses.
1923
1950
1980
1997
2023
Gulf Oil built the five buildings known as Hickory Street Annex today as a distribution center for Gulf Oil
After Gulf Oil moved its operations, The C.H. Collier Forklift Factory took its place
Elm Development & 5/828 Properties purchased the property and it housed Moonstruck Theater and Deep Ellum Opera Theatre
Gary Kaelson purchased the property in 1997 for tenant use and in 2007, it opened as an event venue,
In 2023, we are celebrating 100 years of history at Hickory Street Annex
VIEW THE WEDDING EXPERIENCE
"We loved the feel of the place, the unique set up of the room and that it was different from what we had seen before. We loved all the windows, the beams and the lighting options. Michelle was very easy to work with and communicate with. Added bonus: she allows dogs! So our pups were able to make an appearance :) HSA will always have a special place in our heart!" -April
“Hickory Street Annex was a dream of a venue!"
GET IN TOUCH
Fill out our contact form to learn more about hosting your event with us and to schedule a tour. We can't wait to meet you!