{"nrhp_refnum":"83004479","name":"Sterling-Berry House","other_names":["Stem Associates"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4515 Yoakum Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.732445119000033,"lon":-95.39202287499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-07-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story red-brick house at 4515 Yoakum Boulevard in the Rossmoyne neighborhood of Houston, Texas, built in 1916 with a reinforced concrete front porch added in 1919 by architect Alfred C. Finn.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an extraordinarily detailed work of domestic architecture, notable for its wide-span reinforced concrete porch and Art Nouveau cast-stone ornament, which is rare in Houston houses. It is also tied to Ross S. Sterling, an oil executive, banker, and later Texas governor, who developed Rossmoyne. It is described as the most outstanding work of architecture and most notable landmark in the neighborhood.","narrative":"Built in 1916 in Houston's Rossmoyne neighborhood, this two-story red-brick house on Yoakum Boulevard combines a hipped clay-tile roof and bracketed eaves reminiscent of an Italian villa with an unusually bold reinforced concrete front porch. Architect Alfred C. Finn added the porch in 1919 for the first occupants, Ross S. Sterling and his wife. It features a very wide opening, rotund columns, a porte-cochere, and Art Nouveau cast-stone ornament, a rare treatment for a Houston residence. The house is attributed to the Russell Brown Company. Sterling, a founder-era leader of the Humble Oil companies, developed Rossmoyne and later served as Texas governor. Later owner Joel H. Berry, a banker and lawyer, remodeled the house in the 1930s. After decades as a single-family home, it was rehabilitated in 1981, the exterior was restored to its 1919 appearance, and it now serves as offices. It is regarded as the neighborhood's most notable landmark.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Alfred C. Finn, architect (1919 porch); Russell Brown Company, builder/contractor (attributed, 1916)","architectural_style":"Progressive early 20th-century architecture with Art Nouveau ornament and Italian/Mediterranean villa influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Partially rehabilitated in 1981 and now used as offices, with plans for a residential apartment in part of the upper floor; the exterior and principal rooms are largely unaltered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.54354-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/64/9722/40972264/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/83004479.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972264","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001043"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/sterling-berry-house-83004479/"}