Burlingame, George L., House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 1238 Harvard in the Houston Heights, this one-story frame bungalow was constructed by its owner, contractor George L. Burlingame, as his own home. He lived there for more than thirty years. The house sits on brick piers and has a hipped roof that flares over wide eave overhangs and a full-width front porch. Four tapered box columns with curved brackets rest on cast stone piers, and a wooden balustrade of square balusters connects them, with an open center leading to the steps. Decorative windows with vertical glazed bars flank a paneled door with a large upper light. A gabled dormer above has a tripartite window. The house is described as unusual among the modest, middle-income housing nearby and as a remarkably intact example of the Bungalow style. The only recorded change is the balustrade, replaced in kind in 1981. A rear garage reached by a side driveway does not contribute. It was listed for its architecture at the local level.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a remarkably intact example of the Bungalow style with excellent bungaloid features. It is unusual among the modest, middle-income housing of the Heights. The reviewer accepted it as significant at the local level as a representative example of the Bungalow style.
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 87002243, listed January 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1238 Harvard, Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | January 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002243 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | George L. Burlingame |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition excellent; present use is residence. No alterations except the balustrade, replaced in kind in 1981. The rear garage is noted as non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.79398, -95.39617 (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 87002243.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001048
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.