{"nrhp_refnum":"83004480","name":"Thornton, Dr. Penn B., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1541 Tulane St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.799461051000037,"lon":-95.40251075799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story square frame house at 1541 Tulane Street (originally Portland Street) in the Houston Heights area of Houston, Harris County, Texas, built in 1899-1900 for Dr. Penn B. Thornton.","why_significant":"The house was built for Dr. Penn B. Thornton, one of two doctors who began converting the Houston Heights Hotel into a hospital in 1899. His wife was active in the social life of the Heights at that time. The form lists architecture as an area of significance, with social/humanitarian significance noted, at the local level.","narrative":"Built in 1899-1900 on a corner lot at 1541 Tulane Street, originally Portland Street, this two-story frame house in Houston Heights was constructed for Dr. Penn B. Thornton. It has a square plan, a hipped roof, clapboard walls and an attached double gallery with square wooden posts and flat balusters on the second floor. The single front door is flanked by pilasters and topped with an ornate pediment, though the doorway has been much altered. Windows are shuttered, with crown molding and one-over-one lights, and an interior brick chimney rises through the roof. The style shows Colonial Revival influence. Thornton was one of a pair of doctors who began converting the Houston Heights Hotel into a hospital in 1899, and his wife took an active part in the social life of the Heights in those years. The house remains a rental residence in excellent condition within a residential neighborhood.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Colonial Revival influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Physical condition rated excellent; used as a rental residence. The main doorway is noted as much altered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.171227-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/55/9694/40969455/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/83004480.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969455","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002168"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/thornton-dr-penn-b-house-83004480/"}