Kellum-Noble House
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Why it's listed
Built between 1847 and 1848 for Nathaniel Kellum, this two-story brick house in Houston's Sam Houston Park is among the city's earliest surviving residences. Kellum, a brick maker and businessman, ran a kiln, sawmill, tannery and foundry, and had the bricks laid by Francis McHugh. The Greek Revival house has a central hall plan and double galleries, a form typical of Louisiana-type houses. Abram and Zerviah Noble bought it in 1851; Zerviah opened a school there and later helped found Houston's public schools. The ell added about 1857 held her classroom. The city bought the property in 1899 for its first public park, and the house later served as a park office and held the first zoo. After a fire in the early 1950s left it abandoned and slated for demolition, citizens formed the Harris County Heritage Society, which bought and restored it. It now operates as a house museum on its original site.
Significance in brief: It is one of Houston's earliest surviving residences and one of the best Texas examples of the Louisiana-type galleried, two-story Greek Revival house. It is tied to Nathaniel Kellum and to Zerviah Noble, who ran a school there and helped establish public schools. Efforts to save it from demolition led to the founding of the Harris County Heritage Society.
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 75001989, listed April 3, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 212 Dallas St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | April 3, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001989 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built for Nathaniel Kellum; Francis McHugh contracted to lay the bricks |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (Louisiana-type galleried house) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored and in use as a house museum, with a children's "touch museum" in the rear ell and occasional social events; condition listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 29.75887, -95.37228 (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 75001989.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q108073162
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.