See the article - Norhill Neighborhood Association

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A PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
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I EST. 1954 I $5 ISSUE I Volume 1 2010
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Houston's Norhill Historic District
The Freedmen Communities of Austin
Endangered Texas Neighborhoods
Houston’s Norhill
Historic District:
An Unchanging Neighborhood
in Changing Times
By Pamela Murtha
F
ew adults who have moved away from their childhood homes and neighborhoods return to find that it looks
just the same as when they left. Preservationists can work to protect what remains of a community’s historic
identity, but most often progress inevitably changes the landscape of any city or neighborhood. Rapid growth
often overwhelms efforts to preserve historic integrity. Yet for one neighborhood in Houston, careful planning
from its inception and subsequent homeowner involvement have allowed this residential community—Norhill, a designated historic district—to remain relatively unchanged since it was established more than 85 years ago.
Shortly after the World War I, from 1920 through 1924, Houston’s population would increase by almost 47 percent.
William C. Hogg, a member of one of the most influential families in Texas, was the chairman of the City Planning Committee during this era of Houston’s rapid expansion. Determined to change what he saw as the city’s haphazard pattern of
development at the turn of the century, Hogg wanted new residential areas to be thoughtfully designed and well-executed.
More importantly, he wanted to promote a way of living that was accessible to every homeowner, regardless of their income.
With this in mind, Hogg and his real estate associates would develop two master planned neighborhoods: River Oaks, which
would be home to only the most affluent Houstonians, and Norhill, a residential development consisting of more reasonably
priced lots to accommodate those with modest incomes. While homes in River Oaks would be more elaborate and situated on
larger lots, Hogg saw to it that residents of Norhill would enjoy the same amenities, which included space allotted for schools,
a commercial center to service residents, and community parks. According to David Bush, director of Programs and Information at the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, Norhill has the distinction of being the only one of the city’s historically
significant neighborhoods that was developed exclusively for working class families. He explains that other communities, like
Houston Heights, were most often a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial sections.
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In 1920 William Hogg formed a development consortium, subsequently known as Varner Realty Company, which would build Norhill in three phases. The
site for the planned neighborhood was situated north of
downtown Houston and is thought to have been named
Norhill because of this location and its higher elevation
bordering the business district. Development of the first
phase of Norhill began shortly afterwards. The second
phase of development, North Norhill, commenced in
May of 1923 and included 555 lots; East Norhill, the
third phase, consisted of 292 lots, and began construction in June of the following year.
Prices for a lot in North Norhill ranged from $650
to $1,000, and buying incentives included no taxes for
the first year and no interest for 10 months. Promotional material for East Norhill advertised lots at $900
with similar incentives. The sales brochure capitalized
on the popularity of North Norhill, claiming that “over
a million dollars worth of houses” had been built and
boasting about the neighborhood’s rising property values. “Every one of those families is just so much richer
and every square foot of that land is worth more than
when they bought it,” the ad declared. By August of
1924 more than 700 lots had been sold in Norhill, with
home construction well underway, or in many cases already completed.
The prevailing type of home built in Norhill was the
bungalow. From the early turn-of-the century to about
1925, this architectural style was not only predominant
in Houston suburbs, but it was also extremely popular
nationwide. Bungalows had a compact footprint wellsuited for smaller building lots, and the open floor plan
promoted natural ventilation and air circulation, which
was particularly ideal for Houston’s hot, humid climate.
Additionally, variations in the model’s basic design allowed planned neighborhoods, such as Norhill, to
maintain a distinctive and not overly-repetitive look. Some The map of Houston, above, shows the approximate location of the Norhill District (see black
of the bungalow styles built in Norhill were Colonial, Spanish, rectangle). Below: This gabled roof home is an English style bungalow in the Norhill neighborHipped, English, and Craftsman (see sidebar on page 14 for hood. Photo by Stan Davis.
more on this particular architecture).
House plans for bungalows could be purchased very
offered building packages that featured an assortment of bunreasonably in plan books and from catalogs like Sears and Roe- galow styles manufactured locally. Kathy Cameron, historian
buck Company and Ladies Home Journal. Additionally, many for the community’s Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association
of these companies offered “kit homes,” which were essentially (PPNA), says, “We believe the majority of homes in Norhill
building packages that included all the materials needed to are Crain houses, but we cannot confirm this because these
construct a design plan chosen from the catalog for an upfront [kit homes] did not have any identifiers like the Sears’ houses
price. Kit homes were popular during the 1920s and 1930s do (these have a stamp on the rafters).”
because mass production of the construction materials and
Physically, streets in Norhill were laid out based on a straightrail transportation made these houses even more economi- forward grid system. Dennis Sigut, a former PPNA president,
cally feasible. In Norhill, the Crain Ready-Cut House Com- says that a few of the neighborhood’s long-time residents repany catalog dominated home construction. Founded by E. member that the streets were actually covered in compacted
L. Crain, a real estate developer, the Houston-based company shell (asphalt paved roads and curbing would not happen
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tion comprised of Norhill residents, would
derive its name from this park.
Dedicated green space areas were a key
element in Hogg’s vision for a masterplanned community. However, the real
estate developer further believed that deed
restrictions were essential to protecting and
preserving Norhill’s physical aesthetic and
maintaining the quality of residential living it promoted. For example, the original
restrictions established that homeowners
could not convert a garage into additional
living space and could not build a house
for more than three times the cost of the
lot. According to Kathy Cameron, PPNA
historian, the former restriction still stands,
but for obvious reasons, the construction
costs for a home soon exceeded the latter
directive. At the time of development, this
cost limit was put in place to keep Norhill
an affordable neighborhood. Stan Davis,
current PPNA president, says that the more
significant deed restrictions—a directive
that no home be used for commercial purposes, the establishment of a minimum lot
size to prevent the subdivision of lots, and a
requirement that improvements to a house
conform to the original style and appearance of homes in the neighborhood—have
been instrumental in preserving Norhill’s
historic integrity.
Courtney Tardy, director of the Historic
Neighborhoods Council for the Greater
Houston Preservation Alliance, agrees with
Davis, but says that by keeping up with the
renewal and enforcement of the established
deed restrictions, Norhill’s active neighborhood association has been a key factor in
sustaining its 1920’s charm. She explains,
Above: Another historic bungalow located in the Norhill neighborhood. Below: Street signs in Norhill announce
“From 1902 forward, most of Houston’s
its historic designation. Photos by Stan Davis.
older neighborhoods were established with
until the 1940s). As mentioned previously, to divide and enhance the neighborhood’s deed restrictions in place. However over
dedicated space was also allotted for schools main thoroughfare, Norhill Boulevard. To- time, many communities lost these restricand churches, as well as a section for com- day, this design element is still a defining tions, most often by not renewing them on
mercial businesses servicing area residents. and historically significant characteristic an ongoing basis as is often required.” She
Today, the commercial area of Norhill is of Norhill. Developers would also set aside adds that in respect to Houston Heights,
home to restaurants and antique shops. In a plot of land for Proctor Plaza Park as a “the neighborhood was initially a separate
keeping with William Hogg’s commitment recreational outdoor space for residents to city and had zoning laws and deed restricto integrate the beauty of nature into neigh- enjoy; this property was sold to the city of tions in place. But when it was incorporated
borhood living, a series of park-like espla- Houston for one dollar. The original main- into the city of Houston, those protections
nades were incorporated into the layout of tenance building servicing the park remains were lost.” Houston Heights, which is also
Norhill (River Oaks as well). Two of these intact. Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Asso- rich in early-20th century bungalow homes,
tree-lined, grassy expanses were positioned ciation, a still-active community organiza- is now struggling to preserve what is left of
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The triangular shape of Houston’s Norhill neighborhood is outlined in black above. Map courtesy of Proctor Plaza Neighborhood
Association.
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The Hogg Family’s Master Plan
William Clifford Hogg was the son of Governor
James Hogg, and along with his sister Ima and
brother Michael, left an indelible mark on
the city of Houston. The Hogg siblings were
staunch supporters of a master-planned
Houston, which spurred William’s involvement
with the City Planning Commission from 1927
to 1929. William, Ima, and Michael strived to
help create a city that they envisioned as an
“urban utopia.”
In her book, The Hogg Family and Houston:
Philanthropy and the Civic Ideal, Kate Sayen
Kirkland discusses the siblings’ vision.
In particular, the Hogg family wanted
Houston’s growth and development to keep
commercial, residential, and recreational
activities separate, reflect the city’s natural
beauty by setting aside recreational and
conservation areas, use zoning laws and deed
restrictions to facilitate an ongoing planning
process, and support planned neighborhood
communities, as demonstrated by Norhill and
River Oaks.
Unfortunately, the Hoggs would only find
disappointment in their efforts to convince
city leaders and residents to steer Houston’s
growth and development toward what they
saw as a more innovative and organized path.
While a master plan would be created for
the city, it would never be put into action.
However, Kirkland points out that ultimately
the three would then turn their attention to
improving their beloved city and the lives
of its residents through social and cultural
philanthropic endeavors.
Above: Image of William Hogg courtesy of University of Texas,
Austin, www.hogg.utexas.edu/abouthistory.html
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Front porches are a feature of bungalow architecture, common in the
Norhill neighborhood.
its historic inventory. In Norhill’s case, Dennis Sigut says
that the deed restrictions filed when the residential area was
developed had indeed expired at one point, but in the early
1990s the neighborhood association worked to have them
reinstated. He explains that when the original deed restrictions were resubmitted to Harris County, a provision was
added at that time to automatically renew the restrictions at
10-year intervals “in perpetuity.” Maverick Welsh, a PPNA
past president, says the clause was put in so that the organization would not have to be concerned with “harvesting
the required number of signatures from homeowners [75%
of residents must sign to renew deed restrictions] every 10
years.”
According to Stan Davis, the Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association continues to prioritize raising awareness
of and compliance with the deed restrictions. He says that
in a neighborhood as large as Norhill, communicating with
such a large group of people is an ongoing challenge, as is
engaging them to become active members in the PPNA.
“We are always working on ways to expand our membership. Unlike many of today’s homeowners associations,
Norhill residents join our organization and pay dues on
a voluntary basis.” With more and more younger couples
and families moving into what was traditionally home to
older, long-time residents, he reports that the PPNA is using a popular social networking Internet site as a way to attract and engage residents. “We now have a Facebook page
(Proctor Plaza Living), which is another avenue, in addition to our website (www.proctorplaza.com), to reach out
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This tree-lined street borders Proctor Plaza Park, shown on the right. The park is a popular gathering place for families that live in the Norhill neighborhood. Image by Stan Davis.
to homeowners and keep them updated on what is going on in our neighborhood.” Viula Torgerson, a PPNA board member and creator of the Facebook
page, says that this forum was a way to “foster a different kind of community
involvement.” She says that even though the number of Facebook members is relatively modest (59) at present, she still considers the endeavor a
success. “Homeowners who might not have otherwise become engaged in
issues relevant to Norhill are now, at the very least, aware of the PPNA’s
efforts to protect and improve the neighborhood.”
Davis is hopeful that a larger-than-normal turnout of residents at a recent
PPNA monthly meeting is a sign that this effort to solicit more involved
members is paying off. He emphasizes that an active neighborhood association is critical to ensure that Norhill continues to maintain its 1920’s heritage
well into the future. “Right now the PPNA is working to engage the city in
strengthening the protections that come with a historic district designation.”
Davis points out that at present Norhill’s deed restrictions tend to be more
binding than the city’s current Historic Preservation Ordinance. Maverick
Welsh, a former PPNA president and a current board member of the Houston
Archaeological and Historical Commission, which oversees compliance with
the preservation ordinance, feels positive that the situation will soon change.
He says, “In the near future, Houston will be where it needs to be in regards to
historic preservation. We have a great new mayor in Annise Parker; she understands the importance of saving our history.” A recent one-on-one interview
with the mayor that appeared in the January 31, 2010, edition of the Houston
Chronicle’s Heights/ Neartown section affirms Welsh’s optimism. In the article
Mayor Parker was quoted as saying:
“I am a preservationist. I live in a historic neighborhood and I live in a
national registered house, a protected city landmark house. I have long stated
that I want to see our historic districts more protected...I’m particularly concerned with intact residential neighborhoods and deed-restricted neighborH E R I TA G E
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Texas Neighborhoods Threatened In 2006, Preservation Texas named
the historically and architecturally
significant neighborhoods of Texas
cities to its endangered list. According
to Preservation Texas, these places
were facing “a disturbing new pattern
of demolition as newcomers move in
on their own terms. New owners and
developers are demolishing existing
homes in these neighborhoods to make
way for the construction of dramatically
larger new homes on the same sites.”
The preservation advocacy group went
on to say that these homes, which could
measure from 3,000 to 10,000 square
feet, overwhelm neighboring homes.
Threatened neighborhoods that were
named include Monticello and Arlington
Heights in Fort Worth; Vickery Place,
Bluff View, Lakewood Highlands, and
Old Preston Hollow in Dallas; Pemberton
Heights, Old West Austin, and Tarrytown
in Austin; and Beacon Hills, Terrell Hills,
Olmos Park, Monte Vista, and Alamo
Heights in San Antonio.
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Historic Bungalow Architecture
Influenced by the “bangla” homes found in India,
which were small, one-story houses with thatched
roofs and wide verandas, the bungalow design was
popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s in this
country. Typically, the structural characteristics of
a bungalow were one to one-and-a-half stories in
height, rectangular or square in shape, and they featured a low-pitched, gabled or hipped roof, wide
eaves, dormered windows, and a front porch framed
by wood, stone, or brick columns. The interior design was an open and efficient floor plan—with the
kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms located directly
(no hallways) off of a central living area.
Architecturally, the bungalow was a basic “form” or
shape of a house or building, but the “style” (variations on interior and exterior design elements) was
determined by regional, national, and sometimes
international influences. For example, stucco, terra
cotta tiled roofs, wrought-iron accents, and arched
doorways were the some of the distinctive features of
Spanish bungalow exteriors. Craftsman bungalows
were a reflection of the Arts and Crafts movement,
which focused on simplicity (in opposition to the
more ornate architecture of the Victorian era), the
use of natural materials, and quality craftsmanship.
This bungalow style included exposed roof rafters,
eaves accented with decorative triangular brackets, stained glass windows, and handcrafted stone
or woodwork. Beamed ceilings, wainscoting, and a
fireplace framed by built-in cabinets or shelves were
a few of the interior design elements.
Image above: Chicago bungalows were built primarily from brick and were positioned on the city’s long,
narrow lots with the shorter side of its rectangular
shape facing the street. 1925 Chicago Bungalow
in Skokie, Illinois. Photo GNU General Public License.
Above: The hipped roof is a distinctive design element of this Norhill bungalow.
Below: Original street posts mark the Norhill neighborhood. Both images above are by
Stan Davis.
hoods. I want to protect deed restrictions. The city will be more aggressive
and proactive in helping shore up deed restrictions that exist.”
Today, Norhill is one of Houston’s more desirable neighborhoods
largely in part because of its charming 1920’s bungalows and tree-lined
esplanades. The community stands as testimony that neighborhood
preservation is sustainable through planning and diligence, but most
of all by creating a quality of life that people do not want to change.H
Pamela Murtha is the assistant editor of HERITAGE magazine.
Author’s note: The 1999 application for designation of Norhill as a historic
district, submitted by the Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association, thoroughly
documents the history of this unique residential area and was the main source
of the historic information for this article.
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