Old Sixth Ward Hometour This Sunday

[OSWisHome]

The Old Sixth Ward's Annual Victorian Houston Home Tour is THIS SUNDAY, Oct 21, from 12:30 - 5:30 pm.

Tickets are available the day of the tour, in front of Dow School (MECA) at 1900 Kane Street, $15 each.

Come back in time with us, as you enjoy 'life in the late 19th century', in Houston's first and only protected Historic District.

There will be 6 lovely homes to tour, plus a "bonus" workshop full of antique/vintage working tools and machines, used daily by its owner to craft lovelies for family and friends. Also, enjoy ice cream & lemonade in a backyard garden, ride in a horse drawn carriage, enjoy the antics of "The Wheelman" on their antique bicycles, and enjoy live period piano music (part of each hour) from the resident of one of the homes on the tour!

Come to the Old Sixth Ward, truly "Home to Houston's History"-- the oldest intact neighborhood in the City of Houston, and the largest concentration of Victorian structures in the region, outside of Galveston.

We look forward to seeing you ! www.old6ward.org

[Vertigo58]

This is going to be great!

I have a friend that has restored several of these beautiful homes to their original splendor.

[musicman]

This is going to be great!

I'd call it a waste of $15. It was a major disappointment in my eyes. I walked right past one because I thought the tour homes were "historic". unfortunately it was built in 98.....1998! For a home tour that is supposed to showcase the neighborhood, it was unsuccessful IMO. Definitely left a bad impression.

[Guest danax]

I'd call it a waste of $15. It was a major disappointment in my eyes. I walked right past one because I thought the tour homes were "historic". unfortunately it was built in 98.....1998! For a home tour that is supposed to showcase the neighborhood, it was unsuccessful IMO. Definitely left a bad impression.

Yes, I think they only had the "B" team available this year. I came to view original features but none of the homes felt like the 1800s.

I'm very glad the nabe has good preservation momentum but it apparently stops at the front doors.

[musicman]

Yes, I think they only had the "B" team available this year. I came to view original features but none of the homes felt like the 1800s.

I'm very glad the nabe has good preservation momentum but it apparently stops at the front doors.

didn't like the laminate flooring?

[Guest danax]

didn't like the laminate flooring?

Well, it did go nicely with the granite and stainless.

Don't mind me, I'm just an over-the-edge purist.

[Larissa]

Well, it did go nicely with the granite and stainless.

Don't mind me, I'm just an over-the-edge purist.

ONE house out of 6 on the tour was new construction. It is the first new construction that has been on the tour in 10+ years. The one on the tour was in scale and mass with those around it, and there is an advantage to showing you can build on an empty lot in a historic district, and have it fit into the character and size of those around it. A rarity in Houston with our three townhouses to a lot mentality. Another on the tour was recently restored after being boarded up for almost 20 years, and was never on the tour. Yet another (also never on the tour) was recently restored after being split into numerous apartments. You could see where a wall had been opened where the owner discovered a fireplace! A small addition in the rear proves you can add on to a house, and have it fit into the character and design of the period. Tt has never been unusual or unheard of for these houses to change and grow through their own history. Oh, and I'm sorry, the houses also have been updated to have central air and heat along with modern kitchen appliances.

We inthe Old Sixth Ward are often accused of wanting to live in the past, which makes your comments a bit funny. You seem to want us to LIVE in the past, and in some cases recreate it? when we want to protect it from demolition, and create infill that doesn't fall into the category of how creative can I get - how many materials, angles, and levels can I manage to include.

I think the horse-drawn carraiges and antique bicycles were a nice touch as well.

[musicman]

IMO the use of the word "restore" is a stretch. more like a remodel. for me, the new one didn't have the historic character of some of the older ones.

[Guest danax]

Tt has never been unusual or unheard of for these houses to change and grow through their own history. Oh, and I'm sorry, the houses also have been updated to have central air and heat along with modern kitchen appliances.

We inthe Old Sixth Ward are often accused of wanting to live in the past, which makes your comments a bit funny. You seem to want us to LIVE in the past, and in some cases recreate it? when we want to protect it from demolition, and create infill that doesn't fall into

Any disappointment I felt was only based on the expectations that I had, which were based on what I wanted to see. I wanted to walk into the homes and feel like I'd stepped into 1890. I realize that few are that concerned with creating such a feel and even fewer are willing to compromise luxury for the sake of authenticity. I have a home from the early 20th century and I was looking for inspirational restorations.

My comments sound negative but they're really just straightforward. I would have true negative comments if the homes were getting bulldozed for fake Victorian townhomes (although I did see a row of those too....blah).

[bachanon]

ONE house out of 6 on the tour was new construction. It is the first new construction that has been on the tour in 10+ years. The one on the tour was in scale and mass with those around it, and there is an advantage to showing you can build on an empty lot in a historic district, and have it fit into the character and size of those around it. A rarity in Houston with our three townhouses to a lot mentality. Another on the tour was recently restored after being boarded up for almost 20 years, and was never on the tour. Yet another (also never on the tour) was recently restored after being split into numerous apartments. You could see where a wall had been opened where the owner discovered a fireplace! A small addition in the rear proves you can add on to a house, and have it fit into the character and design of the period. Tt has never been unusual or unheard of for these houses to change and grow through their own history. Oh, and I'm sorry, the houses also have been updated to have central air and heat along with modern kitchen appliances.

We inthe Old Sixth Ward are often accused of wanting to live in the past, which makes your comments a bit funny. You seem to want us to LIVE in the past, and in some cases recreate it? when we want to protect it from demolition, and create infill that doesn't fall into the category of how creative can I get - how many materials, angles, and levels can I manage to include.

I think the horse-drawn carraiges and antique bicycles were a nice touch as well.

welcome to the forum larissa. good to have you.

[Larissa]

welcome to the forum larissa. good to have you.

I've been lurking and reading for years. :-) thanks.

The new faux Victorians are interesting. The Neighborhood Association fully supported the new construction, going as far as attending the HAHC meetings and speaking in support. The house that was once there http://www.old6ward.org/2004Kane.jpg was demolished long ago, and there were half a dozen or so apartments put there in it's place, perhaps for post-WWII housing. They were poor construction, and were finally demolished. Paul Gomberg (Premiere Victorian) was "recruited" to build in our neighborhood. We believed he would respect the set backs of the street, etc. He originally was looking at 4 houses on the two lots. Instead he did three larger homes (the three big sisters), next to the three shotguns beside it (the three little sisters). The setbacks are the same as the house across the street, and at the end of the block. The height is higher than most around it, but not that much higher than what was once there. As I have said before, we are not against new construction - which is why we have design guidelines that include new construction - and realize there are people who want to live in an old neighborhood, but in a new house.

About restoration vs renovation. Few, if any of us 100% restore our houses - we don't replace siding using square nails, we use modern paint and primer (although we try to keep within a historic color family), we have electricity and indoor plumbing, which most of our houses were built without. I'm sorry the houses on tour didn't live up to some people's standards of what a renovated house should be. We are not museum houses, we are living, breathing houses where people raise their children, celebrate birthdays, have friends over for dinner, and continue with life as comfortable as the next person, albeit often in smaller quarters than the average person. Our home tours were once annual, but has become "when we have the houses ready to do a tour", so that we don't always have repeat houses, and we don't have alot of "in progress", or public buildings that can be seen at other times. We try to have a mix of styles and homes that will appeal to a diverse group, many who have never seen a house with 12 foot ceilings, or transomes, brick walls, or wide-plank hardwood floors. We also realize there are people who have seen alot of these types of homes and are looking for more. Whatever you are looking for, attacking those who have opened up there homes to let others in, or attacking those who have worked hard to create a tour that is both entertaining, educational, and a fundraiser is hurtful to those who volunteered hundreds of hours on a tour - whether in Old Sixth Ward or elsewhere. No, I was not one of those volunteers this year, but I have been in the past. The tour lived up to the expectations of the leadership of the OSWNA, and to it's chairs. I'm sorry it didn't live up to everyones, maybe next time.

[musicman]

About restoration vs renovation. Few, if any of us 100% restore our houses - we don't replace siding using square nails, we use modern paint and primer (although we try to keep within a historic color family), we have electricity and indoor plumbing, which most of our houses were built without. I'm sorry the houses on tour didn't live up to some people's standards of what a renovated house should be.

I think using the words historic and restoration led me astray. Saying the houses were renovated probably would have done more justice to them.

Whatever you are looking for, attacking those who have opened up there homes to let others in, or attacking those who have worked hard to create a tour that is both entertaining, educational, and a fundraiser is hurtful to those who volunteered hundreds of hours on a tour - whether in Old Sixth Ward or elsewhere. No, I was not one of those volunteers this year, but I have been in the past. The tour lived up to the expectations of the leadership of the OSWNA, and to it's chairs. I'm sorry it didn't live up to everyones, maybe next time.

I don't think there's any attacking going on, just disappointment in the tour.

[KinkaidAlum]

Larissa-

Don't sweat the complaints. If you've been reading these boards, you know that negativism and pessimism run the show!

As an aside, I live in Boston's South End Neigborhood, the USA's largest brick rowhouse historical district. The home tour here focuses more on the actual PRESERVATION of the structures themselves just like the Old Sixth Ward. It would be foolish to assume that everyone who moves into a historical nabe would want to churn their own butter and ride a horse/buggy to work.

This past Saturday was the South End Home Tour. Two bowfronts were done in a "period" manner with wall-to-wall carpet, claw foot tubs, and all of the original details either preserved or recreated. Two of the other homes were MUCH more modern. One in fact featured a two story glass wall in the rear overlooking Montgomery Park and newly created loft space inside the shell of an 1860s brick rowhouse. The rest of the homes were like mine; the structures were preserved and any original details were saved (I have all the original ceiling medallions, fireplace mantles, crown moulding, etc...) but the rooms have been updated to include a modern kitchen (stainless steel counter tops, block glass backsplash, etc...), modern bathrooms, and even a full stair up to a roofdeck (roofdecks were NOT around int he 1860s).

Personally, I think it is really cool to show people what can be done in a historical structure. Many twits in Houston would like the masses to think that the big-bad enforcement of a historical district would force people to live a certain way. By having a home tour that shows all of the various ways you can live in such a district (respectable new construction, updated historical structures, etc...) the Old Sixth Ward is doing the right thing IMO.