House at 1222 Harvard Street
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Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 1222 Harvard Street in Houston Heights was built in 1907. It has a modified L-plan, clapboard siding, a hipped roof with an intersecting gable, and a two-bay porch with turned-wood posts and a square-wood balustrade. The west gable is closed by a pent roof and detailed with imbricated wood shingles, and the windows are wood two-over-two sash. The foundation is cypress beams on brick piers. Roy L. Whitehead, then county attorney for Harris County, bought the lot and an adjoining one in 1906, and houses on both were finished within three years of each other. The house had many short-term owners; the longest occupation, from 1925 to 1930, was by building contractor William H. Collins and his wife Anna, who kept it as an investment afterward. It is listed as an example of Queen Anne influence on speculative housing in the Heights around 1900, and for the craftsmanship of that building type. It remains a residence in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is highly illustrative of Queen Anne style influence on speculative residences in Houston Heights at the turn of the century. It was built on a lot bought in 1906 by Roy L. Whitehead, then Harris County attorney, whose optimism about the area's growth was typical of the suburb's developers. It reflects the simplicity and craftsmanship of speculative houses built in the Heights in this period.
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 90001043, listed July 17, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1222 Harvard St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | July 17, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001043 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Vernacular/Queen Anne influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is listed as excellent; present use is residence; the building has been moved from its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.79344, -95.39616 (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 90001043.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001080
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.