{"nrhp_refnum":"86002180","name":"Halff, A. H., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"601 Howard St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Antonio","county":"Bexar County","state":"TX","lat":29.44236586200003,"lon":-98.49568163299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story residence of beige brick and buff limestone at 601 Howard Street in the Tobin Hill-Laurel Heights area of San Antonio, Texas, designed by Atlee B. Ayres and completed in 1908 for Alexander Hart Halff.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an outstanding example of Ayres' ability to combine many stylistic influences, including Classical Revival, Prairie/Wrightian and Spanish Colonial elements, into a cohesive design. It is one of the few remaining grand residences in a once-prestigious neighborhood, and it served as a social and business landmark for San Antonio society for almost sixty years.","narrative":"Built in 1908 at 601 Howard Street in San Antonio, this three-story home of beige brick and buff limestone was designed by architect Atlee B. Ayres for Alexander Hart Halff, a wholesale dry goods executive. Its symmetrical facade, central-hall plan, high metal-tile roof and paired porch columns blend Classical Revival forms with Prairie Style details such as limestone banding and a plinth with urns at the bay windows. Inside, a grand stair rises between Ionic columns, and beamed ceilings and wainscotting mark the main rooms. The house is one of the few grand residences surviving in the Tobin Hill area, once the city's premier residential suburb, and it hosted social and business gatherings for nearly sixty years. After the Halff family sold it in 1968, it served as a medical clinic until 1983. A welding-torch fire in 1984 destroyed the roof and third floor, and the house was then rebuilt with a vaulted third-floor space.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Atlee B. Ayres","architectural_style":"Combination of Classical Revival, Prairie Style/Wrightian and Spanish Colonial Revival influences","criteria":[],"status_note":"Vacant at the time of nomination; a July 1984 fire destroyed the roof and third floor, and reconstruction began immediately afterward. The house was previously used as a medical clinic until 1983.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.18672-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/9710/40971099/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/86002180.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002180/d78ee99ccf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002180/d78ee99ccf-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Julian Bravo","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A.H._Halff_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Julian Bravo</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A.H._Halff_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971099","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107318505"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bexar-county/halff-a-h-house-86002180/"}