House at 1515 Allston Street
Why it's listed
This one-story frame cottage at 1515 Allston Street in Houston Heights dates to 1908. It has clapboard walls, a composition roof, and a pyramid roof with a projecting front gable-end bay. The shingled gable holds a small window. An attached porch rests on Doric columns with flatcut balusters between them, and the steps have a newer iron railing. The single front door has a transom, and the windows are one-over-one. The front window appears to have been modified. The house is described as Queen Anne in style with some Colonial Revival influence. It was probably built by Newton LaRue, a carpenter who bought the lot in 1907 for $375. Craftsmen in the Heights often built homes for their own families as well as doing their regular construction work. The house is considered a good local example of a Queen Anne cottage from the neighborhood's second major development stage, 1900 to 1910. It sits mid-block with little yard vegetation and was originally and is still a residence, now rented.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a good example of a Queen Anne cottage built during the second major stage of development in the Heights (1900-1910). It also reflects the local practice of craftsmen building homes for their own families in addition to their regular construction work.
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 83004440, 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 Allston St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004440 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architect / builder | Probably Newton LaRue, builder |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne with some Colonial Revival influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; the house is in use as a rental residence. The front window was apparently modified. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.79842, -95.40042 (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 83004440.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002167
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.