{"nrhp_refnum":"98001344","name":"Sessums-James House","other_names":["Alexander Sessums--William James House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3802 Spencer","address_restricted":false,"city":"Houston","county":"Harris County","state":"TX","lat":29.775340561000064,"lon":-95.39945298999999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-11-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Black","Architecture","Historic - Non-Aboriginal"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story, wood-frame L-plan vernacular house with Queen Anne influences at 3802 Spencer in Houston, Harris County, Texas, built about 1894 on land bought by African American couple John and Ann Sessums in 1892.","why_significant":"The house reflects the economic growth of Houston's African American community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is linked to John Sessums Jr., a Houston Light Guard member. It is a well-preserved vernacular Queen Anne residence built by an African American builder. The surrounding undisturbed property could also yield archaeological information about construction techniques and yard use.","narrative":"Built around 1894 at 3802 Spencer in Houston, this one-story wood-frame house combines an L-plan with Queen Anne touches such as a wraparound porch, a projecting gable over a three-sided bay, and hipped dormers. It sits on patterned brick piers and is clad in cypress lap siding. The land was bought in 1892 by John and Ann Sessums, African Americans who settled on a rural tract between White Oak Bayou and the expanding railroad yards. John Sessums was a skilled carpenter and a founder of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, and the quality of the construction suggests the Sessums men helped build the house. His son John Jr. was the only African American member of the Houston Light Guard. William James, a railroad-connected teamster, bought the house in 1903 and later extended the porch. The house was listed for its role in Black ethnic heritage, its architecture, and its archaeological potential.","period_of_significance":"c. 1894-1948","architect_builder":"Sessums, Alexander","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Queen Anne","criteria":["A","B","C","D"],"status_note":"Listed as vacant/not in use; described as in very good condition with some weather and vacancy-related deterioration. Windows and doors are covered with plywood.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.905084-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/22/9724/40972422/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/98001344.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972422","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001121"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/harris-county/sessums-james-house-98001344/"}