Modern Home At 4505 N. Roseneath Dr.

[SpaceAge]

July Mod of the Month Houston Mod invites you to join us this Sunday, July 25, 2021 for a Mod of the Month open house event from 2 - 4 PM. Please help us find a new preservation-minded owner for this outstanding vintage modern home located in Riverside Terrace, about five miles southeast of downtown Houston. Thanks to Houston MODern Market for sponsoring this FREE event.  4505 N. Roseneath Drive, Riverside Terrace, Section 15, Houston, TX 77021  HAR Link   |   Google Map Boldly contrasting horizontal and vertical elements make the P. R. Daniel house, 4505 North Roseneath Drive, one  of the most memorable in the Riverside Terrace area. Henry MacGregor developed Riverside Terrace starting in 1924 on picturesque rolling terrain along the banks of Braes Bayou between Hermann and MacGregor Parks.   Architect Bailey Swenson designed the Daniel house in 1949 and construction began in early 1950 situated on a half-acre plus site. Swenson is known for his uniquely inventive combination of organic and international styles of architecture.  Even though one story spreading houses were desired in the 1950s, the neighborhood deed restrictions required houses to have two stories so the mother-in-law pop-up room was created.  The house is composed of stone, brick and redwood and features an impressive array of built-in furnishings and a large abstract mural by prominent artist Jacques de la Marre who worked with Swenson on several projects.   Bailey Allen Swenson (1907-1979) was from Houston and graduated from Rice University in 1932 with a BA in Architecture.  He married Kathryn Thomas in 1949. She operated the first art gallery in Houston and he had an architectural office, both at their live/work home at 3106 Brazos Street.  Swenson designed KSOX (1950) in Harlingen and KNUZ TV 39 (1953) which became KTRK 13 and later KUHT 8 located at 4513 Cullen Boulevard in Houston. He designed the Western Skies Motel (1952, demolished) at 2806 Old Spanish Trail described as opulent, luxurious and Houston's swankiest motel. Two of his earlier residential designs, 2330 Dryden Road (1936, demolished) and 2506 Riverside Drive (1936) had art deco styling. The heaviest concentration of his known work is more modern and located in the Riverside Terrace area including: 3934 Roseneath Drive (1949, especially fantastic), 4619 N. Roseneath Drive (1953), 3315 N. MacGregor Way (1948, demolished), 3126 S. MacGregor Way (1952), 3448 S. MacGregor Way (1952), 3819 S. MacGregor Way (1954, demolished, built for motel developer Leon Green), 3403 Charleston Street (1954), 3417 Charleston Street (1950) and 4216 Fernwood Drive (1948, endangered). In Galveston, Swenson designed 4402 Caduceus Place which is similar to the July Mod of the Month.  For his church, St. Matthew Lutheran, he designed the parish hall (1942) located at 5315 Main Street.    The AIA Houston Architectural Guide by Stephen Fox has more information about this area.  Take the Riverside Terrace and Environs Architectural Tour by Stephen Fox for Cite Magazine here.   If you have more information about these, or other vintage modern houses and/or architects, please contact Houston Mod so we can include it in our Modern Houston Index on our new website. The Mod Squad will be on hand at Sunday's event to assist with membership and publication purchases.  After Alden: Midcentury Architecture in Brazosport, Texas, Houston Mod's new publication by Marty Merritt with a forward by Stephen Fox and photography by Benjamin Hill, will be available at Sunday's event along with our other publications. Or, you may purchase a copy online at our website.

News & Upcoming Events A handsome mod for sale in Galveston, 59 minutes southeast of downtown Houston: 124 Strand Street. Sadly, the Rice Media Center (1970), given to Houston by John and Dominique de Menil and designed by architects Howard Barnstone and Gene Aubry has been demolished this week. How should the Astrodome be reused? Please help our friends at the Astrodome Conservancy by taking their Future Dome survey.   The AIA 2021 Silent Auction is open for bidding on some wonderful items including a Houston Mod Family Membership and complete collection of Houston Mod publications.  Bid now. Houston Mod is a friend organization of Docomomo US, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement. Docomomo US has been dedicated to this mission for nearly 25 years as a chapter of Docomomo International. A single Docomomo US Domestic membership may be added to any Houston Mod membership for the 50% discounted Friend Organization rate of $45.00.   Houston Mod is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) membership organization dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of modern architecture and design in Houston and Texas.  Houston Mod advocates the preservation of this cultural legacy and seeks support from its members and the general public in achieving this goal.

[JLWM8609]

I'm not sure where to post this, but 3126 S. MacGregor suffered a small fire during the thunderstorms on 8/10/22. I did see a lightning strike in that direction before the fire. Looks like it was quickly contained and extinguished. I walked down and was able to see firefighters cutting into the roof I presume to gain access to the fire. The structure doesn't look to be in any danger. Hopefully they'll get a check to fix it without deciding to remodel it into something ungainly or decide to demo it.

Edited August 13, 2022 by JLWM8609