Meitzen House
Why it's listed
This one-story frame cottage at 725 Harvard Street in the Houston Heights was built in 1909. It combines Queen Anne and Colonial Revival features. It has clapboard walls, a composition roof with a hipped form, a projecting gable-end bay, and a front dormer with a window. A shingled gable sits over a chamfered bay with three windows. An attached porch wraps around one side, supported by Doric half-columns on brick piers. The windows have one-over-one lights, and a brick chimney rises inside. A modern diamond-shaped window was added on the porch wall. The original owner, Hugo E. Meitzen, bought the lot from O. M. Carter in 1909 for $400, after living on East 5th Street. Moves within the Heights were common in its early years, often to larger and more ornate homes. Meitzen was typical of the neighborhood's middle-class residents. A tile inscription of his name remains on the front walk, and the house is still a residence.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its architecture, as a local example of Queen Anne style blended with Colonial Revival/Bungaloid features. It also represents the middle-class population of the Houston Heights. Its original owner, Hugo E. Meitzen, moved within the Heights, a common pattern in the early years of the development.
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 84001813, listed May 14, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 725 Harvard St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | May 14, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001813 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is listed as good; the house is still used as a residence and the yard is well kept. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.77530, -95.39645 (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 84001813.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002162
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.