{"nrhp_refnum":"94001015","name":"West, James and Jessie, Mansion","other_names":["Lunar Science Institute","Lunar and Planetary Institute"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3303 NASA Rd. 1","address_restricted":false,"city":"Pasadena","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.56051370800003,"lon":-95.07467033099994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1994-08-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 2-story, roughly U-shaped Italian Renaissance villa of about 17,000 square feet at 3303 NASA Road One on Clear Lake in Pasadena, Harris County, Texas, built in 1929-1930 and designed by Houston architect Joseph Finger. The nominated 3.8 acres also include a stone wall, ornamental pool, statuary and pergola.","why_significant":"The mansion is described as one of the largest and most opulent houses built in Texas in the 1920s. It is the building most closely tied to James Marion West Sr., a major Texas timber figure with ranching and oil interests. It also represents the work of prominent architect Joseph Finger, with fine craftsmanship and Art Deco interiors. Significance is at the state level.","narrative":"Built in 1929-1930 on Clear Lake in southeast Harris County, this 17,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance villa was the centerpiece of a ranch of about 30,000 acres owned by lumberman James Marion West and his wife Jessie. Houston architect Joseph Finger designed it with stucco over hollow tile, limestone and cast concrete trim, and a ceramic tile roof. Inside are a two-story walnut-panelled living room, a nearly 50-foot Palm Room with zig-zag marble floors, and Art Deco details. West rose from sawmill worker to a leading figure in the Texas timber industry, later adding oil, ranching and real estate. The family lived here from 1930 to 1941. After decades of vacancy and neglect, Rice University rehabilitated the house in 1969 for the Lunar Science Institute. It was sold in 1994 with preservation covenants and is currently vacant. Its significance rests on West's career and on Finger's distinctive architecture.","period_of_significance":"1929-1941","architect_builder":"Finger, Joseph (architect)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Sold by Rice University in 1994 with special deed covenants recognizing its historic significance; the property is now vacant. It was rehabilitated in 1969 and is well maintained with few signs of deterioration.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.133189-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/32/9724/40972432/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/94001015.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972432","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002824"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/west-james-and-jessie-mansion-94001015/"}