Light House
Why it's listed
Built in 1961 on a wooded corner lot in Alamo Heights, north of downtown San Antonio, the Light House is a one-story residence designed by architect Brooks Martin with associate Howard Wong for Patsy and Walter Scott Light. Its centerpiece is a glass living room pavilion raised two feet on a foundation of stacked dry concrete bags, with flat roofs, steel tube columns, stucco walls and floor-to-ceiling glazing. Saltillo tile floors and Mexican brick walls and chimney give it a regional character. The plan was laid out on a four-foot grid, and the house was arranged to save most of the lot's old live oak, pecan and cedar elm trees. Landscape architects James Keeter and Stewart King designed the gardens. The house received a 1963 Texas Society of Architects award of merit. It was listed for its local architectural significance as a high-style midcentury modernist home and as one of Martin's few residential works. It remains a private single-family home.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine, high-style example of midcentury modernism, with regional touches such as Saltillo tile and Mexican brick. It is one of the few residential designs by San Antonio architect Brooks Martin. It also features an innovative stacked-concrete-bag foundation and a landscape designed to preserve mature trees.
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 11000131, listed March 21, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 300 Argyle Ave, Alamo Heights |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | March 21, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000131 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Brooks Martin, in association with Howard Wong; landscape architects James Keeter and Stewart King |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement (midcentury modernism, with regional modernist elements) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the form lists its current function as domestic/single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Brackenridge Park |
| Coordinates | 29.47729, -98.46984 (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 11000131.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002711
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.