Roessler, Charles, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 736 Cortlandt in Houston Heights, this one-story frame cottage reflects the modest Queen Anne housing common in the neighborhood in the early twentieth century. It rests on brick piers beneath a double-hipped roof, with a gable-front section at the northwest corner. An L-shaped porch with a standing seam tin roof, four turned columns, decorative brackets and a turned balustrade covers two of the three bays on the west facade. One door has a large oval beveled glass panel and a transom. Windows are wood-sash, one-over-one, double-hung. The porch was restored to its original appearance in 1984. Charles F. Roessler first lived here in 1912 and worked as a driver of a beer wagon. A board-and-batten garage with a corrugated tin gable roof stands at the rear and is original to the house. The property is valued for its good preservation and for retaining original secondary buildings, which few neighboring houses do. It remains a residence.
Significance in brief: The house is a vernacular Queen Anne cottage typical of the modest housing built in the Heights in the early 20th century. It is well preserved and is one of the few houses in the neighborhood that keeps its original secondary buildings. Its significance is local and in the area of architecture.
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 87002257, listed January 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 736 Cortland, Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | January 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002257 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Cottage |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition listed as excellent; porch restored to original appearance in 1984; present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.78480, -95.39492 (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 87002257.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001061
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.