Banta House
Why it's listed
Built in 1918 at 119 East 20th Street in Houston Heights, this square, two-story house was designed by J. E. Banta. It has brick walls over concrete, a hip roof, and a concrete porch and gallery wrapping all four sides, though the rear section has since been enclosed. Battered half-columns rest on square stone piers. Windows are two-over-two on the sides and one-over-one in front, and the single front door has a transom and sidelights. Inside are parquet floors and detailed woodwork. The design is described as quite unusual for its period in both form and materials. Banta intended it to be a fireproof house, yet he included fine wood detailing within. He also ran a candy factory in a frame building next door to the west. The house stands on a corner lot on a busy street, with a chain-link fence and several large trees. It was originally a residence and now serves as an office building. It is considered locally significant for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The form describes the house as quite unusual and unique in design and materials for its period. Banta designed it to be fireproof but included fine wood detailing inside. It is rated locally significant under architecture.
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 83004427, listed June 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 119 E. 20th St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004427 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architect / builder | J. E. Banta, designer |
| Architectural style | Bungaloid influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is listed as excellent; the site is original. The rear porch and gallery have been enclosed. Present use is an office building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.80370, -95.39734 (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 83004427.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4857172
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.