{"nrhp_refnum":"83004465","name":"Isbell House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"639 Heights Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.782582310000066,"lon":-95.39807449299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story eclectic frame house at 639 Heights Boulevard in the Houston Heights neighborhood of Houston, Harris County, Texas, built in 1907-08.","why_significant":"The house has an unusual design for the area, but its principal significance is as the home of Robert Isbell, the fourth mayor of the Heights (1913-14). He helped organize the South Texas Oilmen's Association and held an office in the Fidelity Cotton Oil and Fertilizer Company. Areas of significance are listed as architecture, commerce and politics/government at the local level.","narrative":"Built in 1907-08 at 639 Heights Boulevard in Houston, this two-story frame house combines eclectic design with some bungalow influence. It is clad in clapboard and shingles under a composition roof. A high-peaked gable projects from the front, with a pair of double windows on the second floor of the gable end. An inset porch wraps around to the side, two single front doors have transoms, and a brick chimney rises from the structure. A large finished room on the second floor was originally used for public meetings. The house is considered unusual for its area, but its main importance comes from Robert Isbell, the fourth mayor of the Heights, who served in 1913-14. He helped organize the South Texas Oilmen's Association and was an officer in the Fidelity Cotton Oil and Fertilizer Company. In 1914 he moved to Taft, Texas, to manage Taft Industries, and his family returned to the house after his death in 1920. The lot is heavily landscaped and fenced.","period_of_significance":"1900--","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Bungalow influence; eclectic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Physical condition is listed as excellent; present use is residence. An enclosed swimming pool was added to the south of the house.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.578012-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/9694/40969436/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/83004465.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004465/dd0842e395-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004465/dd0842e395-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Ed Uthman, Houston, Texas, US","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isbell_House_639_Heights_Blvd_Houston_(HDR).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Ed Uthman, Houston, Texas, US</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isbell_House_639_Heights_Blvd_Houston_(HDR).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969436","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isbell_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19880902"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/isbell-house-83004465/"}