Elkins House
Why it's listed
This one-story, L-shaped frame cottage at 602 E. 9th Street in Houston Heights dates to 1908. It has a gable roof with a lateral gable over a side bay, patterned shingles on the gable end, and an attached porch that curves to one side on plain tapering columns with square balusters. Windows hold one-over-one or two-over-two lights, and the walls are frame with asbestos or composition and shingle surfaces. The style shows Queen Anne and Colonial Revival influences. It sits on a corner lot with a well-kept yard in a residential area. Thomas W. Elkins, the original resident, bought the property in 1908 for $500 and operated a bakery at the address as well as living there. The house is considered significant for its architecture and for its link to local commerce, as an early cottage built this far east in the Heights. It may have received a major addition early on, and it remains in good condition as a rental residence.
Significance in brief: The cottage is an early house for this far east section of the Heights. Its original resident, Thomas W. Elkins, bought the property in 1908 for $500 and also ran a bakery at the address. The areas of significance are listed as architecture and commerce, at the local level.
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 83004434, listed June 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 602 E. 9th St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004434 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne and Colonial Revival influences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is a rental residence. It may have had a major addition quite early. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.78712, -95.39177 (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 83004434.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002840
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.