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Really Distinctive Houses


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Having grown up here in Meyerland in the 60's and 70's, I've always been a fan of the truly odd or unique houses in Houston. I've not seen a thread discussing this, so I thought I'd start this one.

An example would be the house on the corner of Braesheather and Moonlight in Meyerland. It's in a neighborhood of largish 50's and 60's ranches, and it's got a gigantic rotunda room; very worlds fair.

There's also a house in Bellaire, near Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet.. It's black. Really black. With a cool angular rock sculpture that follows the line of the house; it looks like a Klingon family moved into the area.

Next time I'm in the area with my camera, I'll take photos and add 'em.

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This one's just east of Houston Ave. in 1st Ward.The glass wall to the right is facing the massive skyline about a mile away to the south. The bubble window on the left faces west and catches and reflects the sunset at the same time. I didn't have time to wait today until sunset to take the picture but I have seen it and it is impressive. There's also one across the side street that is unusual, not as exotic, and also has the full-face skyline window.

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Going through my stash of old photos,

this one has always been one of my favorites

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The Jenkins house on Willowisp (pre-restoration pics) classifies as both beautiful...

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and at the time, odd.....

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Possibly we can get some updated pics on that one?...

Of course still lamenting the pending loss of this one to a Stucco monstrocity...

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this one rears it's ugly head once more...

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I had been in this one a while back, it was pretty interesting. Whoever bought it hasn't done anything with it from what I can tell.

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You have seen these before probably, but I still think they are interesting, especially the one with the 40' round room...

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I nominate the three monster houses in Forest Hill. Totally out of place with the rest of the houses. Espescially Animal House on Pasadena....I drove by the other day, and I could see up through the soffit into the attic. It is in such a state of disrepair.

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I nominate the three monster houses in Forest Hill. Totally out of place with the rest of the houses. Espescially Animal House on Pasadena....I drove by the other day, and I could see up through the soffit into the attic. It is in such a state of disrepair.

That one sold, I thought, not too long ago. I had heard someone stole the stained glass window that was above the stairwell in the ceiling. Is no one living in it?

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  • 3 weeks later...
I stumbled upon this one recently while I was driving around. Former astronaut maybe?

Okay i don't know if i remember my facts correctly on this...but i think that the rocket mobile home was in the art car parade and the orange show owns the lot where it sits and lets them keep it there.

Edited by gnu
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Okay i don't know if i remember my facts correctly on this...but i think that the rocket mobile home was in the art car parade and the orange show owns the lot where it sits and lets them keep it there.

Oh, ok. That explains it.

I came up on it from the west and was like...what the? Then passing it, I saw the Orange Show next door.

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Okay i don't know if i remember my facts correctly on this...but i think that the rocket mobile home was in the art car parade and the orange show owns the lot where it sits and lets them keep it there.

yep, the orange show owns the lot adjacent to the "show" (and the house (and house behind it) are the offices).

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  • 1 year later...

Can't forget the what I call the "Anne Frank house" coincidentally enough its near the museum district. I had mentioned in another topic somewhere as I wrote down the cross streets. I think its Caroline near Binz just feet from the rail line. The building just missed the demo making way for that stupid rail line too. Its about 4 stories high appears European stucco/tan colored and just too cool to describe. It really looks like the place where they were in hiding during Nazi occupation. It is presently used as an apartment. You have to see to believe. Another unspoken hidden treasure in Houston. :closedeyes: :)

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One of my all-time favorites is the one on Wichita (one block north of Southmore), between Dowling and 288 in 3rd Ward.

The guy there has spent the last 20 years or so adding on to his house...building up, not out. He must have 4 or 5 stories now, with an observation deck and a steeple.

You can see the steeple from 288.

Anyone have pics of that place?

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Is this it? Center right:

I am almost certain thats it!

Looks like it was built in early 1920's? You gotta go see it especially at sunset. We used to cruise around the area as teenagers and it always mystified me. The peculiar tenants are what were of real interest, they were mostly elderly but looked like the type of people that used to really live it up in youth in the Roaring 20's, flapper era! Cool.

Someone get better pics!

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It has some crazy photo shop but I believe this is it:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=372546757&size=o

The towers look great buy as any arch critic would point out its just a terrible remuddle. They dont match the original style of the home at all. The owner must be like the old lady in Palo Alto, California that kept adding to her mansion for decades and had halls that went nowhere and stairs that went into walls, insane. Crater Houston.

Theres a section in Old House Journal where they feature horrible remodels as this each month.

As a lover of Victorian Architecture, this really is nauseating. :blink:

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The towers look great buy as any arch critic would point out its just a terrible remuddle. They dont match the original style of the home at all. The owner must be like the old lady in Palo Alto, California that kept adding to her mansion for decades and had halls that went nowhere and stairs that went into walls, insane. Crater Houston.

Theres a section in Old House Journal where they feature horrible remodels as this each month.

As a lover of Victorian Architecture, this really is nauseating. :blink:

As an architecturally illiterate citizen of Houston, I think the house is GREAT! It's on the same level as the Orange Show, the Beer Can House, the Flower Man...

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I don't have a picture, but a few years ago I went to a party in a house in Conroe in which the living room was a huge open area shaped like Texas. They had a wet bar up in the panhandle. Very odd, but the owner was very proud of it.

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