Taylor, Judson L., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1915-16 on Courtlandt Place in Houston, this brick house is one of 18 residences facing a tree-lined, divided boulevard laid out in 1906. Architect Birdsall P. Briscoe, an early Houston practitioner who specialized in houses, designed it in the Georgian Revival style for surgeon Judson L. Taylor. The symmetrical two-and-a-half story main block has a central doorway with pilasters and a columned portico, a steeply pitched hipped roof with dormers, and a brick porte cochere on the west. Alterations in the 1930s added a second porte cochere and a basement recreation room and study, also by Briscoe. A rear brick garage and stable building survives from the neighborhood's edge-of-city origins. Taylor practiced in Houston from 1912 until 1944, organized a naval hospital in World War I, and taught at several medical schools. Later owner Dr. Henry A. Petersen served on the Houston School Board from 1938 to 1960. The house is valued for its architecture and these associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent example of Georgian Revival architecture that reflects the quality of Courtlandt Place, one of Houston's earliest and most exclusive subdivisions. It is also an important link to Dr. Judson L. Taylor, a prominent Houston surgeon. The architect, Briscoe, was an early Houston architect who built 7 of the street's 18 houses.
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 79002968, listed June 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Courtlandt Pl., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | June 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002968 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915-16 |
| Architect / builder | Birdsall P. Briscoe |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, privately owned and in excellent condition, with alterations made in the 1930s and the late 1940s or 1950s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.74385, -95.38516 (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 79002968.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001001
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.