Dexter House
Why it's listed
Built in 1898-99, this two-and-a-half-story frame house at 224 West 17th Street sits in the Houston Heights area of Houston. It has clapboard walls, a composition roof, a hipped roof with projecting lateral and front gable bays, decorative shingles in the gable ends, and an attached side porch with turned posts, fretwork and balusters. An arched window on the upper front and a shingled hood on elaborate pendant braces over a first-floor window add detail. The house shows a Queen Anne influence, and its mix of Colonial Revival and Eastlake elements is described as unusual. It is also tied to local community life: Fred Dexter ran the Houston Engraving Company, organized a choral club for the Heights in 1909, and served the Houston Quartet Society, while Mrs. Dexter led women's groups in the neighborhood. The house has had only minor alterations, remains a residence, and stands in a well-kept yard with a large tree between a modern house and an industrial building.
Significance in brief: The house is described as having an unusual mix of Colonial Revival and Eastlake stylistic elements, with a round transom on the second-floor window contrasting with a bracketed hood on the first floor. It is also associated with Fred Dexter, proprietor of Houston Engraving Company and a leader in local choral music, and with Mrs. Dexter, a leader among women's groups in the Heights. A federal reviewer called the statement weak but accepted it as a good example of a small cottage and for the importance of citizens like the Dexters to the community.
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 84001761, listed May 14, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 224 W. 17th St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | May 14, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001761 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition rated fair; minor alterations; still used as a residence, as originally. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.80068, -95.39995 (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 84001761.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.