Wisnoski House
Why it's listed
This one-story frame cottage at 1651 Columbia Street in Houston Heights, Houston, dates from around 1900. It has clapboard walls, a composition roof, and a combination roofline with a projecting gable over the front bay. The gable end is shingled, and the style shows some Queen Anne influence. The house sits on a prominent corner lot, though a high wooden fence hides the porch and other details from the street. It is in excellent condition and remains a residence, as it was originally. The house is considered important for two reasons. First, it represents the type of cottage common during the early growth of the Heights, in both form and detail. Second, it was the home of Frank Wisnoski, the first operator of the local streetcar company connecting the Heights to Houston. That line was the main way early residents traveled and was a major factor in attracting people to the new suburb. The significance is local, under architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is a typical example of the cottages built during the early development of the Heights, in both form and detail. It was also the home of Frank Wisnoski, the first operator of the Heights streetcar company that linked the suburb with Houston. That streetcar was the main transportation for early residents and helped draw people to the new suburb.
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 84001844, listed May 14, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1651 Columbia St., Houston |
|---|---|
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | May 14, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001844 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition listed as excellent; original site; still used as a residence. Porch and other details are hidden by a high wooden fence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.79989, -95.39363 (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 84001844.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002106
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.