Anderson, John W., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 at 711 Columbia in Houston Heights, this one-story frame house has an L-shaped plan under a hipped roof with intersecting gables. It rests on brick piers and is made of cypress. The east-facing facade has five bays, with a wood-panelled door holding a beveled glass window, 2-over-2 windows, and a shed-roofed porch carried on five turned columns. Wooden shingles appear in the gables, which have a recessed arch and decorative vent, and in a band just below the eaves. These touches set it apart from the many modest, middle-income houses of the neighborhood. John W. Anderson, a construction superintendent with the Street Building Company, bought Lots 9 and 10 from Heights developer Oscar M. Carter and built the house himself in stages, using lumber left over from other jobs. The family lived there for many years before selling in 1958. It is recognized locally for its architecture as a vernacular dwelling with Shingle style influence. A rear addition in 1986 used compatible materials.
Significance in brief: The house is locally significant in architecture as an L-plan vernacular dwelling with some Shingle style influence. Its restrained use of shingles in the gables and in a band below the eaves makes it more distinctive and decorative than most modest, middle-income houses in the Heights.
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 87002241, listed January 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 711 Columbia, Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | January 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002241 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | John W. Anderson |
| Architectural style | Vernacular, Shingle influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is listed as excellent and the house is still used as a residence; a sympathetic rear addition was completed in 1986. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.78394, -95.39304 (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 87002241.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6262097
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.