Walker, Howard, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1932 at 503 Harmony Hill Road in Lufkin, this 1-1/2 story wood-frame house was designed and built by its owner, Howard Walker, with a contractor named Faircloth. It has beveled wood siding, gabled roofs with extended rafter ends, gabled dormers, a central porte cochere, two brick chimneys serving double fireplaces, and two front porches with square brick columns and battered box columns on brick piers. Windows are 6/6 wood double-hung units. Walker drew on bungalow, Colonial Revival and Rustic influences. Family members helped build it, a brick mason, carpenter and window maker contributed, and the foundation sills are heart pine, with lumber shipped from Diboll. The grounds include oak trees grown from acorns, two springs, a shed and a garage. Walker also served as county school superintendent in the 1920s and 1930s, designed the county's first school buses, and installed the neighborhood's first water line. The house was recognized for its local architectural significance, and its interiors remain intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house for its architecture at the local level. The owner/builder combined bungalow, Colonial Revival and Rustic influences with great imagination. It is also associated with Howard Walker, who served as Angelina County Superintendent of Schools during the 1920s and 1930s and designed the county's first school buses.
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 88002774, listed December 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 503 Harmony Hill Rd., Lufkin |
|---|---|
| County | Angelina County |
| Listed | December 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002774 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | H. Walker & Mr. Faircloth, Contractor Howard Walker |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; interiors are intact, with walls paneled ca. 1974. Present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 13.5 |
| Coordinates | 31.30918, -94.72065 (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 88002774.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999770
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.