Durham, Jay L., House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1903 on Heights Boulevard in Houston, this two-story frame house is a Queen Anne dwelling raised on brick piers. It has a hipped roof with an intersecting gable, a one-story wraparound porch with turned columns and balusters, and an octagonal turret topped with a finial that dominates the front. Fish-scale shingles and classical detailing decorate the turret and gables. William A. Wilson, a prominent developer of the Heights, built it for Jay L. Durham. Durham was active in religious and fraternal organizations, served as an officer of the Model Carriage Company, and was the first Fire Chief of the Houston Heights Fire Department from 1911 to 1915. The house is considered typical of the upper-middle-class homes built in the neighborhood in the early twentieth century, and it is notable for its unusually intact and well-preserved architectural features. A rear addition from the 1940s and a 1982 garage are the main changes noted.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a typical and unusually intact example of upper-middle-class housing in the Heights in the early 20th century. It is also tied to Jay L. Durham, who served as the first Fire Chief of the Houston Heights Fire Department from 1911 to 1915. Its significance is classed as local, 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 87002246, listed January 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 921 Heights Blvd., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | January 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002246 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 - |
| Architect / builder | William A. Wilson |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated excellent; used as a residence. A 1982 garage is noted as non-contributing and a rear addition dates from the 1940s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.78820, -95.38652 (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 87002246.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002177
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.