McCain, Henry Hicks, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 1026 Allston in the Houston Heights, this 2-and-1/2-story frame house combines the foursquare form with Prairie School influence. It faces west on cast stone piers beneath a hipped roof. A two-story porch spans the front, with tapered wooden columns on the first floor, square columns above, and carpenter-cut balusters on both levels. West-facing windows have decorative vertical and horizontal muntins. The house sits on a corner lot in a mostly residential block of similarly aged homes, with a semi-circular driveway along the west side. Although larger than most houses in the Heights, it is one of the few foursquare examples in the neighborhood and shows a popular early-20th-century style. It was the home of Henry Hicks McCain, a physician who became a Methodist minister, served Houston congregations including Grace and Collins Methodist Churches, and founded Methodist Hospital in Houston, chairing it for 15 years. It remains a residence in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as one of the few foursquare houses in the Heights. It is larger than most Heights houses but reflects a popular early-20th-century style. It was built for Henry Hicks McCain, a medical doctor turned Methodist minister who founded the Methodist Hospital in Houston and served as its chairman for 15 years.
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 87002254, listed January 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1026 Allston, Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | January 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002254 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Foursquare with Prairie influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is described as excellent; the house is still used as a residence. A rear addition in similar materials was made at an unstated date, and a modern rear garage is noted as non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.78995, -95.39980 (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 87002254.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002179
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.