Bowers-Felts House
Why it's listed
This two-story masonry house at 1213 Lotus Lane in Lufkin was built sometime between 1928 and 1937 in the Tudor Revival style. Architect Shirley Simons designed it, and the nomination calls it one of the best examples of his Tudor work. The house has a multi-gable wood shingle roof, a projecting porte cochere on the north facade, and a wrap-around porch on the east and south sides supported by paired boxed columns. Wood casement windows, dormers on two facades, and rough sawn gable infill add to its character. Large oak trees and extensive ivy surround it, and a garage of similar style sits at the rear. The house is connected to two local families. Robbie Mantooth Bowers was the daughter of Judge Edwin James Mantooth, a lawyer who established the Lufkin Telephone Exchange and Lufkin National Bank. Her husband, Harry T. Bowers, ran Bowers Grocery, and the couple had five children. The house remains in residential use and is in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of the best examples of the Tudor style designed by architect Shirley Simons. It is also tied to local families: Robbie Mantooth Bowers, daughter of Judge Edwin James Mantooth, and Harry T. Bowers, a Lufkin grocer. The area of significance is architecture at the local level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88002780, listed December 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1213 Lotus Ln., Lufkin |
|---|---|
| County | Angelina County |
| Listed | December 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002780 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Shirley Simons |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; condition is listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.34097, -94.74512 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88002780.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4950885
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.