Farrar, Roy and Margaret, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1923 at 511 Lovett Boulevard in Houston's Montrose Place subdivision, this two-story, wood-framed, brick-veneer house was designed by architect Einar Stubee. He paired the low, horizontal massing of the Prairie Style with Mediterranean details, including a tile cross-hipped roof, paired eave brackets, a recessed central entry and a porte cochere. It was built for Roy and Margaret Farrar. Roy Farrar was a lumber businessman, partner of Jesse H. Jones in the South Texas Lumber Company, and a civic leader involved in developing the Port of Houston. Later the house served as a medical fraternity house, an office and a radio station. Despite these uses, the original center-hall floor plan, staircase and windows largely survive. A 2004 renovation adapted it as an arbitration center. The house sits on one of the most architecturally intact blocks of Lovett Boulevard, a landscaped street laid out in 1910-11 for prominent homes.
Significance in brief: The house combines horizontal Prairie Style form with Mediterranean detailing and retains a high degree of architectural integrity. It is also tied to Roy Montgomery Farrar, a Houston lumber businessman and civic leader. It also illustrates the development of Lovett Boulevard, one of four landscaped boulevards platted in Montrose Place for larger homes.
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 06000923, listed October 4, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 511 Lovett Blvd., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | October 4, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000923 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Einar Stubee (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Mediterranean; Late 19th and Early 20th Century Movements/Prairie School |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as an arbitration center with conference rooms and offices after a 2004 renovation; earlier used as a medical fraternity house (1944-1968), office and radio station. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 29.74492, -95.38803 (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 06000923.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002644
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.