William Hobby Mansion At 2 Remington Ln.

[sevfiv]

This comes from what Marmer mentioned in the Ashby Highrise thread about Hobby's ownership and the demolition Cullinan's Shadyside. In Johnston's The Unknown City, it just states "Joseph F. Cullinan's home, Shadyside, was the first house built in the enclave of the same name. After Cullinan's death, former Governor and Mrs. William P. Hobby bought it; it was razed in 1972 and the property given to Rice University by Mrs. Hobby."

From the New York Times (10/11/87):

Quote

This is Shadyside, a 40-acre neighborhood developed in 1916 by Joseph Stephen Cullinan, who founded the Texas Company, now known as Texaco. On the right, behind a white wooden fence, is a vacant lot where Cullinan's house once stood. Until 1972 it was occupied by Oveta Culp Hobby, the Houston doyenne, who wanted to develop the property for commercial use in violation of the deed restrictions but was thwarted by her wealthy neighbors. In an act of spite, she pulled the house down, leaving her neighbors nothing but a weedy lot.

From the Houston Chronicle (09/24/00):

Quote

Perhaps one of the most high-profile examples of this shift was the fight Oveta Culp Hobby, the owner of the Houston Post and former secretary of health, education and welfare, had with her neighbors in Shadyside, the exclusive gated neighborhood founded by Joseph Cullinan, the founder of Texaco.

Hobby had purchased Cullinan's 16,000-square-foot residence but got into a dispute over the deed restrictions that were imposed on the property. In the late 1960s she took the matter to court, but her petition was denied by the Supreme Court of Texas. Angered, legend has it, Hobby demolished her house and moved to River Oaks.

And Stephen Fox's Rice University:

Quote

The only house in Shadyside to have been demolished was J.S. Cullinan's at 2 Remington Lane, to the right of the Main Boulevard gate (today the site of two stucco-faced, tile-roofed houses of 1999 by Eubanks/Bohnn Associates). Completed in 1919 and designed by James P. Jamieson, it was demolished in 1971-1972 by its second owner Oveta Culp Hobby, widow of former Texas governor William P. Hobby, publisher of the Houston Post, head of the Women's Army Corps during World War II, the first Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, and a trustee of Rice University from 1967 until 1974.

One, I didn't know Rice ever owned it, and two, do you think she really demolished the home in a fit over the neighborhood not letting her build a high rise on the property?

[marmer]

Sev,

Thanks so much for the citations. I'm trying to remember where I heard that Mrs. Hobby's planned structure was a high-rise hotel. I thought it was in the Rice Architectural Guide by Stephen Fox, but now that I think of it, it might have been in the RDA Southampton tour book by Fox, what, early last spring? I'll look at home and see if I still have it.

[flipper]

Great thread, and a great example of why I heart HAIF.

I've always been fascinated by Shadyside.

flipper

[marmer]

One, I didn't know Rice ever owned it, and two, do you think she really demolished the home in a fit over the neighborhood not letting her build a high rise on the property?

I didn't know Rice had owned it either, but I'm not surprised. Rice owns a surprisingly large amount of property. _Cinema Houston_ tells the story of how Rice owned the Village Theatre and surrounding area and deliberately refused to cooperate with local groups trying to preserve the theatre. After a moratorium on demolition of historic structures (!) sponsored by Mayor Jim McConn's administration lapsed in early 1990 or '91, the bulldozers were there within a week. I posted a quote about that a year or so ago.

As to why Mrs. Hobby demolished Shadyside, I can only speculate. If she had intended to redevelop the property, demolition would have been part of the process anyway. Or more likely it could have been for tax reasons, or perhaps it needed a lot of work. One thing we see when we look at the history of the downtown and South End upscale neighborhoods is that apparently the wealthy folks of the pre-1950s generations had maybe even fewer qualms about tearing down old-ish houses than do their counterparts of today.

[FilioScotia]

I didn't know Rice had owned it either, but I'm not surprised. Rice owns a surprisingly large amount of property.

You wouldn't believe the things Rice has owned over the years. Check this out. http://www.ricefootball.net/yankeestadium.htm

[marmer]

OK, now I'm wondering where I heard about the Shadyside high-rise, specifically. It was recently and from what seemed to be a reputable source. It was not the Stephen Fox book on Rice University nor his new book on John F. Staub. It was also not the Southampton Walking Tour Guide he did for RDA in Spring 2006. It was not on the last two AIA home design tours (there was nothing in Shadyside) I'm guessing it might have been from a docent at the Wray house in Shadyside during the RDA tour of Staub houses associated with the Fox book.

Mrs. Hobby was on the Rice board of trustees during the late 60s and early 70s so it makes sense she might have given the property to Rice. Of course Rice couldn't do anything with it but sell it, since it could only be used for single family houses and was not accessible to the campus.

[Highrise Tower]

I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated June 8, 1950 and discovered W.P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby's residential home.

Former Gov. W.P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby, 2 Remington Lane, owners of The Houston Post and Station KPRC, formally took over the operation of Houston's only television station, KLEE-TV. On July 4, they announced, the station will become KRPC-TV.

[strickn]

After 5750 Main, it is the 2nd-closest home to Mecom Fountain circle at the north corner of Hermann Park.  Third-closest just sold a few months ago (3 Remington Ln).

[Ross]

When owned by the Hobbys, 2 Remington was Lot U, Shadyside, a 5.178 acre lot. It's since been split into 2 lots, with addresses of 2 Remington and 2 1/2 Remington. Before the Hobbys bought it, it had been the home of Joseph Cullinan, a founder of Texaco. Oveta Culp Hobby had the home demolished in the early 70's, supposedly after a deed restriction fight with the HOA. The property was given to Rice University in 1978 by the Houston Post Company, the actual owner of the property. Rice sold the property in 1983, and it apparently had issues with default after that, before those issues were resolved.

There was a prior thread on this property 

 

[Ross]

The property was deeded to Rice University in 1978 by the Houston Post 

Hobby Shadyside.pdf

[mkultra25]

HCAD's online records for both 2 Remington and 2 1/2 Remington only go back to 1999, but it appears that as of 1999 both properties were owned by grandsons of prominent local philanthropists LeRoy and Lucile Melcher.

As an aside, I wasn't aware of the connection between the two families previously, but the Melcher grandsons were also nephews of Pierre M. "Pete" Schlumberger, per the latter's obituary:

Pierre Marcel Schlumberger 1942 - 2020

[Ross]

1 hour ago, mkultra25 said:

HCAD's online records for both 2 Remington and 2 1/2 Remington only go back to 1999, but it appears that as of 1999 both properties were owned by grandsons of prominent local philanthropists LeRoy and Lucile Melcher.

As an aside, I wasn't aware of the connection between the two families previously, but the Melcher grandsons were also nephews of Pierre M. "Pete" Schlumberger, per the latter's obituary:

Pierre Marcel Schlumberger 1942 - 2020

The 2 Melchers are the children of Anne Schlumberger Melcher and Leroy Melcher Jr, who were married in April 1959. The twin sons were born on December 26, 1959, presumably somewhat premature(that's a joke based on the mores of the time, since there was not 40 weeks between the marriage date and the birth date).

Anne and Leroy Melcher divorced at some point, and she married Jules Bohnn in 1969. They divorced in 1990, and she later married Peter Brown.

Anne Bohnn bought the Shadyside property from Cory Miner and his wife. There was a lot of litigation over whether Lots U and V could be subdivided into 2 lots. Once all that was resolved, the 2 Lot U lots were transferred to the Melcher kids. Anne Bohnn lives on Waverly Court, which is on the North edge of Shadyside, and her lot adjoins the lot for 2 1/2 Remington. She is 83 years old now, I think.

The Pierre Schlumberger mentioned in the obituary above was the brother of Anne S Bohnn.

When Rice University sold the property, it went to an entity names S S William Rice. That entity was not related to the University, as far as I can tell, but defaulted on the promissory note, and lost the property.