Bousquet-Henry Wrightman Home At 3981 Del Monte Dr.

[Willowisp]

Another house bites the dust.

Those of us who went on the 2005 RDA tour got to see this house. I knew deep down that it wasn't going to be around much longer, but it's still sad to know it's gone. All that's left is memories, and Ben Koush's great book that documented it.

Jason

From Feb. 2005 (I changed is to WAS):

Bousquet House, 1941, Donald Barthelme

The Bousquet house WAS of the utmost significance to the architectural heritage of Houston. The architect, Donald Barthelme, was the perhaps the most important modernist working in Texas from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. His work was widely published and he was considered significant enough to be listed as one of the "Masters of Modern Architecture" along with Mies, Le Corbusier and Wright in John Peter's widely read book of 1958 of the same title.

The Bousquet House WAS the last example of Barthelme's work in Houston that remains in a recognizable form. His two masterpieces, the ADA Oil Building of 1957 and his own house of 1941 have been destroyed in the last few years. The current owner of the Bousquet House, Henry Wightman, has resided there since the early 1960s when he purchased the house from the Bousquet's. Mr. Wightman has made relatively few changes and the house is a perfect illustration of pre-war domestic architecture and technology.

The Bousquet house WAS located on its original lot in River Oaks, where surging property values often relegate houses of this size and age to the status of "tear-down". Realizing the importance of this structure and the tentative nature of the Houston residential market, Houston Mod has organized an initiative to document the house.

[gnu]

Another house bites the dust.

Those of us who went on the 2005 RDA tour got to see this house. I knew deep down that it wasn't going to be around much longer, but it's still sad to know it's gone. All that's left is memories, and Ben Koush's great book that documented it.

Jason

a real shame. i really liked that house. a lot of very cool features - especially for a 1941 house.

Sort of precursor to where the mod house movement would go.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

It should be noted that Donald Barthelme the Architect (and former UH architecture prof) was the father of Donald Barthelme the Author (and former UH Creative Writing prof).

When I first read the post above, I found it pretty amazing that one man could be an award winning architect AND one of the nation's most celebrated authors at the same time!

[Jersey01]

What a shame! I wish I could have seen this place before this happened