Minella, Angelo and Lillian, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1950 at 6328 Brookside Drive in Houston's East End, this one-story ranch house was designed by architect Allen R. Williams, Jr. for plumbing supply businessman Angelo Minella and his wife Lillian. Walls and roof are made of lightweight hollow concrete tiles, a system Williams called the Century Built Home. A flat roof covers the whole house, while a taller shed roof rises over the living area. A large Roman brick chimney and brick planter boxes dominate the front. Of the Century Built Homes known to have been built in Houston, only three remain. The house sits in Simms Woods, a small postwar subdivision that also contains homes by other architects and had a notable Italian-American community. It is listed as a good local example of modern residential architecture in mid-century Houston. The Minellas lived there until their deaths in 1982 and 1991, and changes since have been small, mostly added window air conditioners and a few repairs. A matching detached garage survives.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an excellent local example of mid-twentieth-century ranch architecture in Houston and as an architect-designed middle-class home. It is one of only a few surviving examples of Williams' "Century Built Home" system of lightweight hollow concrete tile construction. It retains a high level of integrity.
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 06000818, listed September 13, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6328 Brookside Dr., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | September 13, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000818 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1950 |
| Architect / builder | Allen R. Williams, Jr. (architect), Century Builders (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement / ranch style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and still used as a single-family dwelling, with minimal changes over the years. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.73150, -95.31659 (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 06000818.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002642
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.