BenH

The realtor told me that the original structure isn't that old. More like 1880's-1890's.

http://www.luxuryportfolio.com/browse~mc/t...ill_village.cfm has one listed for now.

Two, actually. This is Vale's first independent work, additions to a house built in the 1800's:

http://www.luxuryportfolio.com/property/bu...setting_lot.cfm

I took forever to find since I didn't know what to look for.

LAWRENCE DAVID STARNES (Larry) of Katy, Texas, passed away August 21, 2008, at the age of 83. He was born October 2, 1924, in Corsicana, Texas, and was one of seven children. His family moved to the Heights in Houston Texas in 1938 when Larry was 14, and he attended Reagan High School, graduating in 1942. After entering the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, he attended Aviation Cadet Pilot Training, graduated as a pilot officer and served as a pilot until the end of World War II when he received an honorable discharge. Larry attended the University of Houston to study architecture and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Larry became a registered architect, practicing architecture in Houston for 58 years. During this time he became a registered architect in other states including Louisiana, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Kansas and Mississippi. He also held an NCARB certificate - a national certificate that "recommends him to all Registered Authorities for registration and license as an Architect." Larry was a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) more than 45 years. Larry is preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Ethel Lee Leverton STARNES. In November 2007 Larry wed Cora Smith Webb of Katy, Texas. Larry is survived by: his wife, Cora Smith Webb Starnes; his sister Martha Jo Clark of San Marcos, Texas; his son David Lawrence STARNES and his wife Laura Manville STARNES of San Antonio, Texas; his daughter Shelley STARNES Garner and her husband Christopher Hamilton Garner of Houston, Texas; and by four sweet and loving grandchildren, David Matthew STARNES and his wife Emily Schabert STARNES, Samantha Suzanne STARNES and Katie Lynn STARNES, all of San Antonio, Texas, and by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Larry is also survived by Cora's children: Linda Craft of Katy, Texas; Cathy Levandowski and her husband Edward Levandowski of Deer Park, Texas; Norma Fridley and her husband Craig Fridley of Austin, Texas; along with four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2008, at First Baptist Church of Katy, 600 Pin Oak Road, Katy, Texas 77494. The family requests in lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, or First Baptist Church of Katy, Texas

In the Memorial Examiner this morning:

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/02/...e_horning_c.txt

22 Willowend is back in the Chronicle today, and in the Memorial Examiner, which has an interview with the owners.

Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/6246784.html

The Chronicle's print version has more details on both Willowend and 12923 Memorial Drive.

Memorial Examiner:

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/02/..._hahnfeld_c.txt

Nope. I don't have any, at least. I don't know the address, or if its still there. The Katy houses are really great, and one of them has an owner who loves it, so its in good hands.

301 West Friar Tuck, the Lents house, was demolished in the past week.

Actually, the only way to get a halfway decent picture of the front of that house is to either be there at sunrise, or to use lighting. It faces north, so it's almost always in shadow. Either that, or photoshop the hell out of it (that's what I did, and it still doesn't look very good).

To the banquet? I'll be there.

Has anyone wondered why the 2007 awards were never listed on the ghpa website? The Mosbacher house and Willowisps' house got awards that year.

Yet another one up for sale; listing says 1941, but probably later than that. The current owner worked with Mr. Vale on an addition in the 1960's I believe.

11719 Cobblestone

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

I'm going to post everything that comes up for sale here instead of making a new thread from now on.

It's refreshing to see a house marketed for its architectural qualities.

The realtor was one of Bolton & Barnstone's clients. Her house was 307 W Friar Tuck.

3126 Newcastle - R.A. Farnsworth, Sr. House

11 Crestwood - Wesley R. Edmonson House

3730 Willowick - Wallace Mengdon House

301 West Friar Tuck - Max Lents House

603 Timber Terrace - Chas Block House

5327 Bordley - Merril V. Gregory House

5657 Bordley - Russell McFarland House

Thanks to Sevfiv for the use of her '55 city directory. Will post more as I find them.

James B. Webb House 1950 - 1101 Ridgeley. Will try to get a picture soon.

I actually was inside this house once when I was a kid. I went to grade school with a girl that lived there and was invited to a birthday party. This was probably back in 1964 or '65. The family's last name was Bono. They were Italian, as were many of the family's living in Del Monte back then. The Gaurino family lived next door (behind) this one on Willer's Way. Both of these houses were exceptional back in the 60's.

The Gaurino house is pretty interesting too. Any idea who designed these?

Do you remember the front gate at 5202 Del Monte? Its something that's very mod that can be seen from the street.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

I drive by this place at least twice a week, and just from the street it has some great MCM details, including a butterfly roof.

Personally, I'm ready for a conclusion to said saga.

That's in Midtown?

Is it still occupied?

As far as I know, it is.

http://herbgreene.org/GREENE%20IMAGES/Arch...WEST%20BELL.htm

The house seems to be in excellent shape. The current owners are part of the family that built it, and are very committed to preserving it. I think they are wanting to move the house to a different location if the next buyer doesn't want to keep it. It should be small enough to do this anyway.

I have to amend a few previous comments I've made above. Turns out there actually IS a structure from 1836 incorporated into the house's design. A friend of mine is going over to see it Thursday, weather permitting, to get some more information on it.

'Ranch' makes sense.*

Thanks for pointing the Wylie W. Vale guide. (The thread can be found here.)

Among the information listed about Mr. Vale is that he started practicing architecture in Houston in 1939, yet the realtor's ad claims that this house was built in 1955. Is this really his first house?

* Edit: From Willowisp's interview with Mr. Vale:

"My style was called Contemporary Country"

Right, but the description also says the house was built in 1836. Wasn't Texas fighting for it's independence at that point?

Mr. Vale indicated that this was his first independent design. The owner new that he needed work and asked him to design the house. From the way he described the time period, it sounded like it was before the war, so that tells me the actual date is 1936. And HCAD is notoriously wrong.

Vale did have a style called Contemporary country, but this house isn't what he meant. When I spoke with him, he described the style in detail, and these are excellent examples of it:

Battered stone walls, low hipped roofs, pecky cypress interiors, built-ins everywhere and the houses were usually large ramblers.

While this house is undeniably Mid-Century, it can hardly be called Modern. Perhaps some better name could be coined to describe the very un-modern building style also popular at that time (informal, rustic, knotty pine panelling, faux-Colonial accents.)

Is this house representative of Mr. Vale's work? or did he also design MCM houses?

I think it falls nicely under the "Ranch" label.

Vale worked in many different styles. See the guide I posted here called "A Brief Guide to the work of Wylie W. Vale", although I should probably go back over that and re-evaluate it. His own house on Memorial Drive has influences of Cliff May and Frank Lloyd Wright, but many aspects are unique to this part of Texas.