Miller Dahlstrand DeJean Architectsmddarchitects.com

Texas Fine Home Builderstexasfinehomes.net

Remodel & Expansion of a Boulevard Oaks Historic District Home

Photo by Carl Mayfield

BENEFITING PRESERVATION HOUSTON SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 2 & 3

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org36

TThhaannkkss ttoo OOuurr SSppoonnssoorrss

GEORGIAN SPONSORS:

NEOCLASSICAL SPONSORS:

CRAFTSMAN SPONSORS:

QUEEN ANNE SPONSORS:

Alicia Blaszak Howe & Steve Howe

Gabriel Architects

Molly McIntyre-Hair & Tom Hair

Anne Whitlock & Michael Skelly

Deborah Keyser & James Stafford

Courtney & Fred Steves

2015 Good Brick TourDates and TimesAll of the tour locations will be open from noon to 5 p.m.Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3.

Tickets offer admission to all tour locations on both tourdates. Begin your tour at any location and proceed inany order you choose.

TicketsSpecial $25 advance purchase price: Buy your ticket online at goodbricktour.eventbrite.comthrough Thursday, April 30, at the special advance pur-chase price and check in at any tour location on May 2and 3.

At the door: Tickets will be available for $30 per personat any tour location on May 2 and 3.

Single-site admission: One-time admission to a singletour location will be available for $10 at any tour site onboth days of the tour.

Dear Friends,

Since 1979, Preservation Houston has rec-ognized excellence in historic preservationwith the Good Brick Awards. In that time,many of you have told us you wanted afirsthand look inside these award-winningprojects – now you have the chance.

After last year’s success, we are pleasedto present the second annual Good BrickTour featuring an impressive selection ofrestored, rehabilitated and renovatedbuildings.

Preservation Houston is happy toacknowledge the owners of these excep-tional historic properties for restoringtheir buildings to high standards and gra-ciously opening their homes and busi-nesses to our visitors.

We also want to thank our hard-work-ing volunteers, led by dedicated co-chairsKate McCormick and Deborah Keyser andhonorary chairs Penny Jones and BillStubbs, as well as the enthusiastic commit-tee chairs and Preservation Houston board

members who helped make the 2015Good Brick Tour possible.

We are grateful to our event sponsorsfor their generous support, which furthersPreservation Houston’s education andoutreach programs while celebrating ourshared history in progress. We especiallyappreciate having Houston House & Homereturn as our print partner.

Most of all, we would like to thankyou, our members and guests, for attend-ing the 2015 Good Brick Tour and foryour interest and involvement inPreservation Houston. While we firmlybelieve that highlighting award-winningprojects will help foster a preservation ethicfor Houston, you are ultimately our bestadvocates.

After the tour, tell your friendsabout what you’ve seen; nominate proj-ects for Good Brick Awards; discuss theimportance of local landmarks and his-toric districts; and let our elected offi-cials know you care about preservingHouston’s history.

If you are not a member, please joinPreservation Houston to stay connectedwith all that’s happening to protect ourgreat city’s architecture, culture and her-itage by visiting preservationhouston.org orcalling 713-510-3990.

With our warmest regards,

Jane-Page Crump Board President

Stephanie Ann JonesExecutive Director

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WWeellccoommee

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org38

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The newly constructed garage apartment is seen above on the left. Extreme care was used to find and use reclaimed brick to match the original.A large courtyard filled the front yard (below), but the current owners had it removed.

Boulevard Oaks Tudor RevivalA Salute to a Pioneering Woman Builder;

Historic Katharine Mott Home Majestically Restored, Open for TouringBy Susan Fox • Photography by Carl Mayfield

When recently talking about his good fortune to bepart of the restoration of a Katharine Mott house – andthe homeowners’ initial consideration to phase-in reno-vation work – architect Reagan Miller shares a truthabout restoration projects.

“When you start pulling the yarn out of a sweater, you needto see it through,” says Miller, a principal of Miller,Dahlstrand DeJean Architects (MDD).

Steve Howe bought the home in 1996. But it was not untilthe end of 2008 that Howe and wife Alicia Blaszak Howegave the green light for MDD to completely restore the 1928Tudor Revival-style home located in the Boulevard OaksHistoric District, which has been included on the NationalRegister of Historic Places.

The extensive project took two years to complete. The refurbished home, located at 1635 South Boulevard, is onthe Good Brick Tour, scheduled May 2 & 3.

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org40

Katharine Mott was one of the first female builders inHouston. Her homes convey both an architectural distinctivenessand timeliness, according to Miller.

Mott homes are recognized for their picturesque manorial styles,asymmetrical floor plans, tapestry brick and casement windows.

The majesty of the house is what originally caught Howe’s eyeduring his morning runs down the boulevard. When it went onthe market, he made a successful bid to buy it.

When he and Blaszak met – and eventually married – she, too,became just as smitten with the house.

“We wanted to honor its history,” says Blaszak Howe.Howe adds that Miller and the MDD team “made sure we

stayed true to the original English Tudor design. We decided theonly way to do it was to do a complete renovation.”

“The original layout was very awkward for tody’s living,” saysMiller. “We had to redistribute the rooms. We relocated thekitchen and dining rooms and better defined the public and pri-vate spaces.

“The entire roof was repaired, and the main entrance, frontdoor, staircase, windows and wood floors all were refurbished,”says Miller.

MDD first researched the home, which back in the day wascalled “The Edgemont,” and found an advertisement announc-ing the home. Inviting all to tour with “no obligation to buy,”the properly worded advertisement also offered an enticingphoto that later helped with the renovation.

Miller and his team discovered, thanks to the newspaperphoto, the gabled dormers and arched windows that were part of

the house at the time, were not original. They were returned totheir original configuration.

They also discovered hard-to-find steel windows from aCalifornia company called Torrance Windows. Their intent was torestore as much of the original Mott detailing as possible, evenwhen it meant doing time-consuming sleuthing for materials.

“We are like detectives, finding the clues on how to restorethe integrity of historic homes,” says Miller.

A kitchen and breakfast addition was completed in the late1980s, but it was isolated from the main house. Additionally, italso had suffered extensive water damage.

The residence had no family room – a need for today’s families – and, inherent to older homes, minimal closets andbathrooms.

A new addition, designed and overseen by MDA, nowincludes a family room and a mudroom on the first floor. Twobedrooms, bathrooms and a laundry room are on the secondlevel. A new two-story garage with quarters also was built.

“A house tells you what it should be at some point, and thenyou’re just along for the ride,” adds Miller.

The living room; limestone was added to the fireplace surround and mantel to evoke a classic feel. Furnishings by CBG Interiors.

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The master bathroom was remodeled to feature classic carrara marble on the countertops and bath surround.

The kitchen was relocated to serve the family’s needs. Pendant lighting over the island are from Restoration Hardware.

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org42

Our historically correct custom (Electricor Oil) lantern and lamp lighting is sureto add a rustic flavor to almost anydécor! Choose from many differentstyles, colors, and finishes.

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Big Rock Lanterns carries one of the largest, most distinctive collections of “Vintage Style” oil

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1. Fire Station No. 62013 Good Brick Award1702 Washington Avenue, Sixth Ward 77007

When Fire Station No. 6 opened in 1903, it was a state-of-the-artfacility, but time and technology passed it by. When Tom Hair pur-chased the late Victorian building, it was listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places, but floors were missing, there were holesin the roof and the interior was covered in graffiti. Carlin/WhiteAssociates designed the project that transformed the dark, dilapidatedstructure into the bright, comfortable home of Axiom communica-tions group.

From the outset, Hair sought to preserve the historic fabric orreplace missing materials with appropriate salvage. When this was notfeasible, he had 27 mahogany-framed windows built to match theoriginals. A functional brass fire pole was also installed, contributingto the creative atmosphere in the firm’s offices.

During the tour, visitors will see photomurals of the firefightersand equipment assigned to the station in the early 1900s along withHair’s colorful collection of 1920s motivational posters.

Preservation Houston presented Tom Hair with a 2013 GoodBrick Award for his comprehensive restoration of Fire Station No. 6.Photos by Pete Lacker.

2. National Cash Register Building2011 Good Brick Award 515 Caroline Street, Downtown 77002

Deborah Keyser and James Stafford received a 2011 Good BrickAward for their renovation and repurposing of the National CashRegister Building, a designated City of Houston Landmark.

The small building is a hidden gem among larger downtownstructures. Designed by celebrated architect Joseph Finger in theItalian Renaissance Revival style, the finely detailed building wascompleted in 1929, and served as the National Cash RegisterCompany’s sales office and showroom until 1943.

Restoring the building’s original appearance required removinglater signage and recreating an intricate marble mosaic frieze usinghistoric photographs as a guide.

Inside, acoustical tile and fluorescent tubing were taken out, thehigh ceilings were re-opened and period light fixtures were installed.The couple’s offices, complete with antique cash register, occupythe refurbished ground floor.

In what had been a cold, bare storage area on the second story,Cass-Shively Architects designed a warm, inviting apartment thatwelcomes tour visitors who want to sample exemplary downtownliving. The final stop will be the intimate roof garden created byNewberry Campa Architects to provide a quiet urban retreat.Photo above by Jim Parsons. Photos below by Melanie Millar and Michael Morrow.

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org44

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3. The Casita / 2015 H-E-B Award317 Sampson Street, East End 77003

The rescue and restoration of this quaint cottage is the first step inan ambitious preservation project that involved moving and ultimatelyrestoring six Victorian houses along with repurposing a vintage 1910fire station. In January 2014, Anne Whitlock and Michael Skelly held aliteral “parade of homes” as a half-dozen historic houses made theirway through Houston’s East End.

“The Casita,” the first of the buildings to be rehabilitated, will beopen to visitors. Despite years of neglect, many of the home’s historicdetails were intact. Craftsmen hand-cut intricate Eastlake gingerbreadto match the surviving sample. Inside, Janusz Design opened the mainroom while retaining original trim and beadboard paneling.

“The Casita” will serve as a guesthouse for historic Fire Station No. 2, which the couple is restoring as their home.

In February 2015, Anne Whitlock and Michael Skelly receivedPreservation Houston’s inaugural H-E-B Award for their project,which embodies the spirit of ingenuity and reinvention through his-toric preservation.

4. 1100 Milford Street2010 Good Brick AwardMuseum District 77006

The Museum Area Municipal Association nominated John Gabrielfor his Good Brick Award for preserving a significant neighborhoodlandmark and continuing the legacy of its longtime owner.

This classically detailed house was built in 1919, and VirginiaTomlinson and her husband lived there through most of its history.After her husband’s death, Mrs. Tomlinson maintained her home andyard by herself until she was 99, taking particular pride in the matureoaks that contributed to the neighborhood’s charm.

The house was largely untouched when Mrs. Tomlinson died at 101,and architect John Gabriel purchased the property for his firm’s offices.Neighbors were extremely grateful when Gabriel Architects renovatedthe house, especially since another buyer planned to demolish the his-toric home for a parking lot.

Although he adapted the house for a new use, Gabriel preserved itsresidential character and restored many of the original features that canbe seen today. He also improved the landscaping that was so importantto Mrs. Tomlinson and earned a 2010 Good Brick Award in theprocess.

Photo by John C. Lindy

Photos by Jim Parsons

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org46

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5. 1635 South Boulevard2015 Good Brick AwardBoulevard Oaks Historic District 77006

This gracious Tudor Revival-style home was constructed in 1928,as a speculative house by Katharine Mott, one of Houston’s firstwoman builders. During the tour, visitors will see why Mott’s hous-es have earned a well-deserved reputation for classic comfort andenduring quality.

When Alicia Blaszak Howe and Steve Howe set out to renovateand expand their home, which is listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places, they were committed to preserving the property’sessential character. Original fixtures were refurbished and extensivemold damage repaired.

To make the house more functional, Miller Dahlstrand De JeanArchitects relocated the kitchen and dining room, designed a newfamily room on the first floor and added two bedrooms on the sec-ond story. On the exterior, the new rear addition incorporatesreclaimed tapestry brick to seamlessly blend with the herringbonepattern on the historic house.

Alicia Blaszak Howe and Steve Howe received a 2015 Good BrickAward for their project’s exceptional attention to detail, which main-tains the integrity of Katharine Mott’s original design.

6. L. D. Allen House2003 Good Brick Award2337 Blue Bonnet Boulevard, Old Braeswood 77030

Courtney and Fred Steves received a 2003 Good BrickAward for the sensitive restoration of the most famous mod-ernistic house in Houston. This unique residence was con-structed in 1936, for Mr. & Mrs. L. D. Allen, who wereinspired by the Homes of Tomorrow Exposition at the 1933Chicago World’s Fair.

Houston architects Wirtz & Calhoun incorporated newbuilding technology such as glass block and an innovative steelframing system in their design for the home, which also fea-tured stucco-surfaced walls and tubular metal railings. Theresulting house was showcased in national magazines.

In 2001, when the Steves purchased the property, the housewas largely unchanged, but was neglected and deteriorated.Nevertheless, the couple was enthusiastic about the home’sunique style and commissioned Glassman ShoemakeMaldonado Architects to preserve its authentic character.

During the renovation, original cabinetry was repaired andrefinished, including an unusual moderne bookcase with built-in Zenith radio. Exceptional Art Deco furniture that has beenwith the home through four owners was restored and will beon display during the tour.

Photos by Carl Mayfield. See the inside of this home on pages 5-7 of this guide.

Photos by Janice E. Ashton.

house&home | 2015 Good Brick Tour | www.preservationhouston.org48

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