Ellis, Dr. Billie V., House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 1515 Heights Boulevard in Houston, this two-story frame house combines Queen Anne and Colonial Revival features. It has clapboard walls, a composition roof, and a hip roof with a projecting gable end on the second-story bay. An attached porch wraps to one side on Doric columns, with flat balusters between them. The front has a single door and one-over-one windows. The house sits on less than an acre in a residential neighborhood, behind a modern iron fence, and remains in its original residential use with no recorded alterations. Dr. Billie V. Ellis, a prominent local physician with an office at 19th and Ashland, appears to have been the first resident after buying the property in 1911 for $1,800 from W. G. Love, who had paid $1,500 about eighteen months earlier. That exchange illustrates the rapid growth in property values in the Heights during its period of development. The house was recognized locally for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is listed for its architecture, at local level of significance, as a well-preserved example of Queen Anne/Colonial Revival design. Its 1911 sale also illustrates how quickly property values rose in the Heights during its development. Dr. Billie V. Ellis, a prominent local physician, appears to have been its first resident.
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 83004435, listed June 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1515 Heights Blvd., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004435 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residence in original use and present use; condition listed as excellent, with no alterations and a well-kept yard with a modern iron fence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.79863, -95.39846 (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 83004435.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001072
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.