Daily Demolition Report: Norhill No More

Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday.

Pack it up and pack it in, let us begin the destruction:

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Commercial Structures

Residential

Photo of 843 Allston St.: Zillow

6 Comment

  • I’m surprised about the Norhill demo. Thought that place had pretty tight rules.

  • The Norhill Historic District starts north of 11th street. Norhill south of 11th is deed restricted, but is not in a historic district. Whitestone, most notably, is having a feast over there.

  • @J Even though it has a Norhill Blvd address, it sits outside of the Norhill’s protected historic district.

  • The Norhill property is not in the Norhill historic district or the Norhill deed restricted area. It is in Woodland Heights. Which reminds me,

    WHY AREN’T YOU LISTENING TO ME!!!! THE MODERN VICTORIAN FARMHOUSES WILL SHOW NO MERCY ON WOODLAND HEIGHTS. AND THEY ARE SETTING THEIR SITES ON THE SW SECTION OF THE HEIGHTS WHERE THERE IS NO HISTORIC DISTRICT. JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO THAT BEAUTIFUL CRAFTSMAN FOURSQUARE ON ALLSTON.

  • @ Old School – As you point out, Norhill deed restrictions don’t cover this area. However, Norhill Addition does have its own deed restrictions.

    About 10 years ago we were looking to buy in that subdivision and I remember not liking the prohibition against garage apartments. At the time, a garage apartment seemed like a good way to add space without tearing down or camel-backing the house. Although I’m sure this specific deed restriction isn’t responsible for the current demolition bonanza, I suspect it didn’t help save any original houses either.

  • Former WHCA deed restriction VP here – the Norhill property is in the original Norhill subdivision, which isn’t a historic district but most assuredly is deed restricted (and always has been, because the original restrictions were renewed upon each expiration). However, the deed restrictions don’t have the level of architectural control that is found in newer, master planned developments. The Norhill historic district is actually the North Norhill and Norhill East subdivisions (if I remember the names correctly).