This week in Demolition, we’ve got a lot to get into! Let’s start off with our headline. If you’re not in the know, C.C. Rouse was consistently considered one of Houston’s top builders in the early 20th century. Designing and constructing some of the most prominent homes in the city, and many in the River Oaks area, C.C. Rouse was known for building lavish homes, with ornate details.* Sadly, many of the original Rouse homes have been torn down, and even more have been remodeled. Today we lose another one with the demolition of 2224 Rice Blvd. sitting directly across the street from the Rice University Campus this house has lots of information online about it. It started off as a model home in 1938. The house was built with 5 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms, central heating, attic venting, a 3-car garage, and servants’ quarters. It would sell a year later for $23,000 to Mr. the manager of a local furniture company. More recently the house has been tastefully updated on the interior but still retains its original colonial exterior.
Some other demolitions of note this week include 2024 Dryden a cottage in Southgate with a modernized but mostly original interior, and 2107 Bartlett another cottage, which has had much more modernization, but still feels very cozy. In commercial demolition we only see one structure this week, 1800 Texas Avenue. A small restaurant complex that was most recently home to a grill, and bar next door. This property is the one you can see from 59 South passing Minute Maid with the huge Dr. Pepper ads painted on the walls. This complex also contains a historic house, and the locomotive that used to sit in Hermann Park. This land was slated to become the Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, but these plans were scrapped for unspecified reasons in 2015. Interestingly the demolition permits filed listed the Nau Center as occupant of the property. This of course leads to the question, could the Nau Center be making a comeback? In my opinion, probably not. No announcements have been made online, all the donor’s money was refunded, and in 2019 the city sold this property to Jim Crane owner of the Astros. So, I’d chalk this up to a clerical error before an underground philanthropic move.
This is a list of the buildings which received a City of Houston demolition permit the week before this post.
Residential Demolitions
3115 Rosalie St, Houston, TX 77004– Booker T. Washington, Bungalow Trashed
9629 Larston St, Houston, TX 77055– Long Point Woods, 1950s Ranch, Photos
8217 Talton St, Houston, TX 77028– Clairmont Place
16611 Lonesome Quail Dr, Missouri City, TX 77489– Quail Run, Missouri City
1441 Ashland St, Houston, TX 77008– Heights, 1940s Home, Photos
10917 Greenwillow St, Houston, TX 77035– Willowbrook
8700 Lanewood Dr, Houston, TX 77016– Laura Koppe Place
2224 Rice Boulevard, Houston, TX 77005– Southampton Place, 1930s Colonial, Photos
4810 San Jacinto St, Houston, TX 77004– Southmore, 1930s Apartments
3304 Live Oak St, Houston, TX 77004– Tuffly H G
4108 Cortlandt St, Houston, TX 77022– Harvard Court
5607 Kittridge St, Houston, TX 77028– Triangle Gardens
828 Byrne St, Houston, TX 77009– Woodland Terrace, 1920s Bungalow, Garage Apartment Only, Photos
8638 Fannette St, Houston, TX 77029– Pleasentville, Photos
1028 Key St, Houston, TX 77009– North Norhill, 1920s Bungalow, Garage Only, Photos
6406 Kassarine Pass, Houston, TX 77033– Southpark
13530 Deluxe St, Houston, TX 77047– Minnetex
3402 Keeland St, Houston, TX 77093– Cameden Woods
4931 Marietta Ln, Houston, TX 77021– Riverside Terrace
4606 Vernon St, Houston, TX 77020– Pinecrest Court
2024 Dryden Rd, Houston, TX 77030– Southgate, 1920s Cottage, Photos
5213 Pease St, Houston, TX 77023– Greater Eastwood
3602 Grennoch Ln, Houston, TX 77025– Braes Heights, 1950s Ranch, Photos
3310 Maysel St, Houston, TX 77080– Langwood
4116 Dorchester St, Houston, TX 77016– Wescott Gardens
1847 Nina Lee Ln, Houston, TX 77018– Oak Forest, 1950s Ranch, Photos
3810 Walker St, Houston, TX 77023– Milby, Vintage 1930s
2107 Bartlett St, Houston, TX 77098– Chevy Chase, 1930s Cottage, Photos
5003 Braesvalley Dr, Houston, TX 77096– Meyerland, Original house on Swamplot, First demo’d 2019, Photos
1903 Chapman St, Houston, TX 77009– Cascara, 1920s Shotgun
3923 Curtis St, Houston, TX 77020– Burke Extension
4401 Greeley St, Houston, TX 77006– Fitze Homestead
6012 Feagan St, Houston, TX 77007– Glen Clove, Photos
5903 Holly St, Houston, TX 77074– Braeburn Terrace
13006 Indian Creek Rd, Houston, TX 77079– Memorial Glen, Photos
6602 Saxet St, Houston, TX 77055– Westview Terrace, 1950s Ranch Style
4920 Radial St, Houston, TX 77021– Macgregor Terrace
7203 Gonzales St, Houston, TX 77020– Denver Harbor, Photos
5915 Bent Bough Ln, Houston, TX 77088– Inwood Forest, Sold to Harris County Flood Control District, Photos
1709 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006– Windsor Place, Multi-Unit, Photos
5935 Bent Bough Ln, Houston, TX 77088– Inwood Forest, Sold to Harris County Flood Control District
Commercial Structures
1800 Texas St, Houston, TX 77003-HTX Fan Tavern, Former planned location for the Nau Center. Now owned by Astros.
*C.C. Rouse’s history and continued legacy as Tyne Sparks goes far beyond my knowledge as a retail historian. If you’re curious about the company who built some of the most recognizable homes in Houston I’d recommend checking out these two City of Houston write-ups on 3203 Ella Lee and 2504 Brentwood both provide good information on C.C. Rouse and the homes.