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That was a very informative article on the Motts & their contributions to Houston. Thanks Simbha, for pointing that out. Katherine Mott was a cancer survivor, lived many years after diagnosis. Kept on building, what a life. Cite is such a great source of information, thank you Stephen Fox. I would love to tour one of her homes. Maybe someday. Oh, btw, what is a "scissor stair with wrought iron"? ( p.34) ... I've never heard that term before.

I bet it won't take long for something to appear, after demolition. Valuable land, indeed...I am very impressed with Houston's Medical Center.

What I loved most about this design was the exterior landscape, especially the fountain. Too bad it's suffered such a common fate among older buildings in this city. No respect. I would like to think the building materials would be of value. Hopefully some parts of the old girl have been salvaged. I mentioned before, my father worked in that bldg. many years ago. I remember looking out of one of the office windows to the swimming pool, far below.

Wow, good for you...I am assuming you are in a Houston or Texas university...university students can access info. from other libraries, such as Rice University, University of Houston, or UT archives easier than the general public. I would actually visit the libraries, or visit their on-line searches before going, or simply call them. Librarians are there to help you, use them. These libraries are a good place to find original blueprints, maps,etc. not normally seen. Katherine Mott was associated with architectural firms, such as Burns & James. I would explore those firms she worked with, as well as books on River Oaks, or other neighborhoods she was associated with. The Houston Architectural Guide, with two publications, has some great brief but accurate info. on architects & their Houston - built homes. She was a great role model for women, I would love to read your thesis, some day. Good luck! http://citemag.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/RiversideTerrace_Fox_Cite19.pdf here is a link with some of the neighborhoods she was associated with, see #5.

What cemetery would that be? I've never heard that story. Just that Allen Parkway Village, previously San Felipe Courts (public housing project) located near the hospital, was the site of recent excavations from an old city cemetery.

Where did you get your hands on a copy? thru UH? I would like one.

Very interesting...never heard of those cooling towers, never came across any, growing up in the 60's. But understand the concept. I vaquely recall reading about a cooling system wih chilled air and fans, used in the downtown theaters, before air-conditioning.

Thanks gnu for pointing that house out. I am familiar with the area, and know that one of the oldest bungalows I've run across sits in the area close to that one, on Waverly, where the bayou curls around the land. I never knew that Spanish house sat there,makes me very sad to see it lost. The large property (w/ the old white Spanish mission style house) that sits (sat) to the west of this smaller house was recently demolished. It faced Old Galveston Road (looks green in the GoogleEarth view) and is very similar in style, and has been talked about quite a bit on HAIF. The two houses may have been built by the same owner or builder. Again, very old structures, I'm guessing early 1900's. It's interesting to study the previous years aerial photos, to see how the land has changed, through the years, with the bayou manipulation. Always wondered what happened to Chet/ Ashikaga...had some interesting posts. BTW - Rockleigh Place is another very old road, south of Waverly.

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the old house, I was always intrigued by similar ones that I saw traveling many times through downtown, viewed from the Pierce Elevated, when I was young. So many of those houses were so large, hard to upkeep, as they aged. I can recall a few in the East End, of course, all gone now. The history of Oak Place is something new to me.

GoogleEarth shows (in the 1953 historical image) a large piece of land, no trees, with a white structure (house?) in the middle of it, with a bayou close by, directly north (think it's called Keegans) , a creek to the south, that flows into the bayou on the golf course, Ricevillle School Rd. (S. Gessner) to the west of it. The golf course was directly next to it, to the east. The entrance road to the white structure was off of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner). It sat back off the road. The property had apartments built on it, eventually, 1970's. Maybe that's the property you speak of. On the opposite side of Riceville School Rd. (Gessner), near the intersection of Breaswood, you can see a oval shape (maybe a horse track) next to the creek. That must have been the stable facilities. (see Historic aerials, 1964). BraeBurn Country Club is very old, dates back to the 1920's, said the clubhouse was torn down, and rebuilt in the 50's or '60s. The original name was Colonial Country Club, was renamed and redeveloped in the early 1930's, became very popular at that time. map link (see southwest bottom corner) http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/historic/road_maps/images/1965_houston_humble_highres.jpg

Very Interesting...looks like there were several large homesteads in the 1964 aerial map, at that intersection. What style was the house? And, do you remember there being a gold course close by? If so, where did the house sit in relation to it, south or west ? Did the house have trees around it? Did it sit close to the road? A neighborhood was developed southeast of the two roads, in the sixties. The land you mention could have been sold at a nice profit, for future development. Looks like most or all the estate homes at that intersection disappeared, eventually.

I viewed quite a few maps of the various years, it makes sense, the story of returning servicemen, with the shortage of housing. There were some identical, cookie cutter houses, in a very small subdivision, sitting all in a row, north of Park Place and Reveille, so I know there has to be some story (as you say) linked to it. Sevfiv would have appreciated those apartments, the googleearth pics left remnants of what it's style once was. Personally, I don't recall it, though. I do remember those older bldgs. on the corner ,east of the police station. There was a very popular hair salon in the rectangular two story bldg.,on the corner, was there for many yrs. I do recall that something about those apartments across the street intrigued me. Think it had a medieval theme. And where do all those bricks go? My love of architecture was fueled by the '60's style, growing up...I'm glad I got to witness it, so much is gone or distorted.

Nice pictures, I read recently that many prominent and/ or young architects flocked to the city, to help rebuild it, after a very large fire destroyed much of it.. Also, many modern architects left Europe during WW 2, for America, and Chicago, especially, because it was a place that welcomed their new structural design ideas.

I find Park Place a very interesting street, and I have always loved that law office's brick work. It looks like a sixties-style bldg., but those houses on that section of Pk Place are some of the first built; the forties seams right , to me, year built. It must have been remodeled. I recall a second one, nearby, with similar brickwork. I was studying the Park Place aerials recently. I am curious as to the street name Reveille, what is it's significance? Too bad the apt. bldg and police station (sitting next to it) near Telephone and Pk Place are to be, or have been demolished.

As a kid, I went to the domed Arena Theater, between those tall bldgs, on Hwy 59 South, near Sharpstown. That was in the late 1960's - early 70's, I remember it had nothing but prairie land and a chain link fence around it. Hard to believe, now.

I have a question, is the River Oaks Theater in those thumbnails recently posted? Or does it still kind of sit by itself...somewhat, awaiting an uncertain fate? I haven't visited that area in a while. I run across the postcards of the original River Oaks Shopping Center streamlined design quite often.

http://harrisburgtx.webs.com/ nice research Mr. Wolfe. ---pic of MIlby House I've not seen before. ---graveyards particularly interesting ---maps

http://www.facebook....4851372 the mystery house... that's a nice house, never was aware of it. Looks like, from HCAD info. in recent yrs., it's had quite a few owners, HCAD doesn't go back too far. Says built 1930, no a/c or heat. Nice lot, hidden in plain sight. Wonder if it has seen flood issues. Reminds me of some of the homes styles in Riverside.

http://www.facebook....&id=71454851372 Milby house info. I never really got to check out the house on Old Galveston Road, close up. It sat at the end of a long drive, quite far back from the main road. Just remember it sat out there by itself, on flat land, with a few palm trees next to it.

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=71454851372 have you guys seen the info.. here? It covers so many topics we've discussed, from Cadet Don & Kitirik, to old mansions, some with lingering mysteries, to great pics of places we grew up with, pony rides, and all.

http://www.hctx.net/archives/Img.aspx?Img=1 map of Houston with wards - 1904 very unique, have never seen some of these listings before on a Houston map. I like the block no's listed, as you follow Main St., as well as the business names. It's a good map to zoom in on. and here's the parent link , with more good maps. http://www.hctx.net/archives/Maps.aspx

http://www.epperts.com/lfa/BB82.html the brewery was enormous, did have bldgs. on both north & south sides of bayou, with a connection bridge, at one time. Maps from @ the 1930's show Washington Ave. fed into Franklin by bridge, trolley or streetcar line, and all. Looks like floods (1929,1935), prohibition, & competition were major hinderances. The bit about the Busch Brewery was interesting, at @ the UH-Downtown site.

I grew up with Borden's Ice Cream Parlors, no Heap-O-Cream's. Architecturally speaking, those glass squares come to mind. I vaguely recall, maybe a flying pizza sign & restaurant, 1960-early 70's? near that flower shop, Broadway and Park Place. Could be mistaken.

http://houstorian.wo.../market-square/ Houstorians details, didn't know the bridge was blamed for the flooding of downtown,1935. From the pics I've seen, the brewery and the whole establishment, including the bridge, were quite elaborate. Even had a stable that extended over the bayou. Would guess those ornamental planters are from the Victorian time period. Good pics. http://users.hal-pc.org/~lfa/BB27.html mentions brick work. http://www.magnoliab...oricphotos.html after checking out this Magnolia Brewery site, maybe the stable over the water was just an idea, last pic is referred to as a concept. anyone know for sure?

Wow, what an impressive life she had...I would like to read the biography of her dad.