Joseph Wolf Mansion At 415 Strey Ln.

[David D]

Growing up in the Memorial area bck in the 60's, I remember an old plantation style home, that sat at the corner of Memorial Drive and Strey Lane. I don't ever recall seeing much activity, and was always told to stay away from the property.

Anyone out there recall this and if so would any information be available?

BTW new to forum, so please beear with me as I learn the ropes.

[neuman]

It was there into the 80's and I always wondered about it myself. I have no answer for you though!

Here's an aerial from 1957:

http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=5.31082712400951E-06&lat=29.7643938636902&lon=-95.5386990482226&year=1957

Edited December 12, 2011 by neuman

[NenaE]

David, would you happen to know the exact neighborhood name?

HAR lists the oldest built neighborhood to be Bylane, 7 properties - 1953.

That name wasn't in the Harris County block books.

I'd like to know, as well.

Edited December 13, 2011 by NenaE

[sevfiv]

It looks like in 1973/74 it became "Wolfwood" and this one was 415 Strey Ln. - it was originally owned by Joseph A. Wolf who created the small subdivision. It's the "existing house" on the block book: http://books.tax.hct..._106-2_0117.jpg and originally part of the JD Taylor survey: http://books.tax.hct...7_41-2_0132.jpg

[David D]

I am not sure about neighborhoods at that time, houses seemed to be far apart. I grew up in Bunker Hill Village, and just remember that house and have always wandered about the history of it. When I stumbled across this site, I thought it would be a good place to start inquiring about it.

Thanks for all the replys, maybe someone will have more on it.

[David D]

I also remember a number of out buildings located behind the main house, maybe the kitchen and quarters for "employee's"?

[FilioScotia]

I suppose anything is possible, but I think it is highly improbable that a genuine early 19th century antebellum plantation house ever existed in that area of Houston.

It's more probable that someone built a house in that style -- perhaps in the 1920s when Houston had lots of people who could afford to do that.

[David D]

Sevfiv- is there public access to this site? I would like to veiw more of them a little to the east.

FilioScotia- you are probably right, but that is what i find most interesting about the house and the history surrounding it.

[sevfiv]

At the bottom of the following page there are clickable letters that correspond to the first letter of the name of the area - then there will be a drop-down list of all names for that letter. Sometimes the query only returns one image but if you manually change the last number in the image URL sequentially (either higher or lower) you can sometimes "browse" more.

http://www.hctax.net/Property/blockbooks/default.aspx

[NenaE]

What an interesting topic. I love the long windows/french doors found on plantation style homes. I've seen it quite a bit in Louisiana.

Thanks David for sharing with us. I'm inclined to think like FilioScotia, although I do know of, and have visited a home in that area that is an original farmhouse from (I'm guessing) late 1800's - early 1900's, when the land (around the wooded area) was farmed.

I knew sevfiv could tap into this, thanks.

[BenH]

Joseph Wolf's house that used to be on Wolf Court was designed by Wylie W. Vale. Not sure when, or if it's the same house. He also did another large house across Memorial Drive for the Norvell family which is now Norvell Ct. It's gone too. Hope it helps some.

[lynne.lewis]

I remember the old Wolf house from the 60's. It always held my interest. In 1973 I was home visiting some old haunts and actually drove up in the driveway. It went past the back of the house by an old carriage house and other out buildings, some of which looked like they had been inhabited at one time. Servants? An old OLD woman came out of the front of the house and told me to leave. I tried to tell her I loved the house but she would have none of it. I left right away.

In the 90's (?) just before they tore it down my Mother and I went on the property and into the house. It was deserted of course. In the huge living room hung floor to ceiling red velvet drapes that turned to fuzzy ash when you touched them. The kitchen was painted scarlet red and was very unnerving. There was a back stair (suppporting the idea there had been servants) leading off the kitchen to the second story. The rest of the house was utterly bare except in the attic where a pallet had been laid on the floor and a few racks of old clothing hung. Downstairs we found some old local pamphets that served for the announcement of Houston goings-on. On one there was a picture of a young girl boarding a Braniff airplane. Her last name was Wolf. The date was @ 1960.

We looked for the grave that was supposed to be on the property according to local legend and found nothing.

Later we contacted the sheriff of Hedwig Village and he told us the house was originally on a river bank and had been moved to it's final location in the 20's. Over the years it had been added onto chock-a-block and our inspection bore this out. It was a hideous place inside with no obvious planning anywhere. Rooms just jutted out of other rooms like a funhouse.

As to the pallet this too was confirmed by the sheriff. Seems the last surviving son lived there for many years, with no heat or running water. We saw where he slept. It was very spooky.And not a little sad.

The two stone pillars at the head of the driveway are still there. That is all that's left except a cul-de-sac further west on Memorial named Wolf Ct.

Now what stands there is a horrid pinkish-orange McMansion in the worst of all possible taste.

Any furher info about this old house would be appreciated. lynne.lewis@comcast.net

Edited June 27, 2012 by lynne.lewis

[little frau]

Interesting......and thank you for sharing.

Now, wonder who the old woman was?

[lynne.lewis]

Interesting......and thank you for sharing.

Now, wonder who the old woman was?'

I assume it was eiither the grandmother or the mother of the young girl. I wish I'd been able to talk to her. She would have been like a library. Unfortunately that wasn't possible.

[NenaE]

Fascinating story, lynne.lewis... yes, thanks for sharing. Some people just don't understand and share our fascination with old houses. What exactly is chock-a-block? Interesting to know the house was moved. I've got to look this one up again.

[little frau]

Using the public online records, I found that there was a young woman of 20 living at 415 Strey Ln who married 21 year old Raul Pedro Lamar (also of 415 Strey Ln) on June 27, 1968. Her name was/is Diana Jane Wolf. She was born in 1948 so she possibly was the young girl in the airline brochure.

Joseph A. Wolf apparently died in the 70s but I was unable to find a probate case for him. Mrs. J.A. Wolf died in 1989 (Florence Nolan Wolf) and Dale Thomas Wolf was executor of her estate. In 1994 he sold the Strey Ln. property to the current owners.

Sad to think that he lived alone in the home from about '89 until it was sold in '94. If in fact he was the one who was sleeping on the floor.

It would be interesting to explore the Wylie Vale connection.

[David D]

yes, it was the old woman that I remember best, she had told us to leave also, she scared me to death back in the 60's.

Lynne Lewis, would the sherrif have been Joe Schultea?

This is the kind of information I was looking for, Thanks.

[NenaE]

...sad that so many of these huge old mansions are gone. There were quite a few, frm my readings on HAIF. I love the idea of living in a refurbished carriage house.

[BenH]

Using the public online records, I found that there was a young woman of 20 living at 415 Strey Ln who married 21 year old Raul Pedro Lamar (also of 415 Strey Ln) on June 27, 1968. Her name was/is Diana Jane Wolf. She was born in 1948 so she possibly was the young girl in the airline brochure.

Joseph A. Wolf apparently died in the 70s but I was unable to find a probate case for him. Mrs. J.A. Wolf died in 1989 (Florence Nolan Wolf) and Dale Thomas Wolf was executor of her estate. In 1994 he sold the Strey Ln. property to the current owners.

Sad to think that he lived alone in the home from about '89 until it was sold in '94. If in fact he was the one who was sleeping on the floor.

It would be interesting to explore the Wylie Vale connection.

 

I didn't catch this until re-reading the thread a few times. The name "Flo. Nolan" is on Wylie Vale's list of clients, well. This is interesting.