West Eleventh Place Historic District
Why it's listed
West Eleventh Place is a tiny private cul-de-sac of eight houses in Houston's Rice University/Museum District, reached by a 15-foot-wide lane that ends in a green circular turnaround. Laid out in 1920 by architect Joseph W. Northrop, Jr. and his clients, it was built up mostly between 1921 and 1925. Houses face inward toward the circle, while garages and servants' quarters open onto rear service streets. Most are two-story, brick-veneered wood-frame homes in Colonial Revival styles, with a French Provincial house by William Ward Watkin and an Italianate villa by Einar Stubee. Brick entrance piers topped with urns mark the lane. The district is listed for its architecture, community planning and landscape design, and for the lives of Dr. J. Willis Slaughter and Margaret Perkins Slaughter. Its original residents included oil, cotton, lumber and insurance men. Two later houses and some rear buildings do not contribute, but the plan remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is one of Houston's most architecturally consistent and spatially coherent 1920s enclaves, with an architect-designed plan, houses and landscape. It is tied to Northrop's community planning, to additional work by Einar H. Stubee and William Ward Watkin, and to Dr. J. Willis Slaughter and Margaret Perkins Slaughter. The original residents also reflect the oil, cotton and timber wealth of 1920s Houston.
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 97000317, listed April 14, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1--8 W. 11th Pl., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | April 14, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000317 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1920 - 1946 |
| Architect / builder | Northrop, Joseph W., Jr.; Stubee, Einar H.; Watkin, William Ward |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as single-family residences; the district retains integrity, with 13 of 20 resources contributing and some later alterations and two post-World War II houses. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 29.72541, -95.39206 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 97000317.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999715
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.