Cleveland, A. S., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1911 at 8 Courtlandt Place in Houston, this two-and-a-half story stuccoed wood frame house sits on a tree-lined, divided boulevard established as an exclusive neighborhood in 1906. Sanguinet & Staats designed it, with Alfred Finn as supervising architect. Its square form, symmetrical three-bay facade and columned entrance portico recall Colonial Revival design, while the wide modillioned eaves recall the Italian Villa style. A green tiled hipped roof with hipped dormers crowns the building. Inside are oak panelling and parquet floors with mahogany borders. The house was the third built on Courtlandt Place, following two earlier houses by the same firm. It is tied to A. S. Cleveland, a Houston wholesale grocer and cotton dealer who served on the school board from 1905 to 1923, led the Chamber of Commerce in 1910 and served as a university trustee. His family lived here from 1911 to 1950. Neighborhood covenants help preserve the street's early character.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a good Houston example of early 20th century eclectic styles, reflecting the elegance common along Courtlandt Place, one of the city's earliest exclusive subdivisions. It was the third house built there and is linked to A. S. Cleveland, a business and civic leader. It was designed by Sanguinet & Staats with Alfred Finn as supervising architect.
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 79002958, listed June 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8 Courtlandt Pl., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002958 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Sanguinet & Staats with Alfred Finn |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, recalling Colonial Revival and Italian Villa styles |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and unaltered; used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Courtlandt Place Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.74388, -95.38299 (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 79002958.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000990
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.