Johnson, Charles, House
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Why it's listed
Built around 1915 on the corner of 35th and Courtlandt in Independence Heights, this one-story wood frame house follows a vernacular L-plan. It has weatherboard walls, a hipped asphalt-shingle roof, concrete pier foundations, and an inset hipped-roof porch covering two doors and a window. Windows are two-over-two wooden sash, and a shed-roof rear addition probably dates to the late 1920s or 1930s. The house is among the earliest in the community and one of its most intact examples of the L-plan form, kept up by the Johnson family and later owners. It is also linked to Charles Johnson, known as Charlie, who ran one of three ice delivery businesses in Independence Heights from about 1915 through the 1920s. Ice delivery needed little investment and could be run from home, and Johnson is remembered as probably the earliest and most successful of the ice men. The house was listed for its architecture and its role in the neighborhood's Black heritage.
Significance in brief: It is one of the earliest and most intact examples of the vernacular L-plan house form in Independence Heights (Criterion C, Architecture). It is also tied to Charles Johnson, one of three ice delivery men serving the community, who ran his business from the home (Criterion A, Ethnic Heritage: Black).
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 97000550, listed June 4, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 301 E. 35th St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 4, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1915-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular L-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is a single dwelling; the form says the house has been maintained by the Johnson family and later owners and retains integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.81834, -95.39593 (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 97000550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60750180
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.