The Heights Life draws attention to the 1,781-sq.-ft. 1915-vintage bungalow at 1620 Cortlandt St.:
When the property next door went on the market for lot value, a Heights family of five couldn’t resist the potential of a nice big yard for their own well-lived in bungalow. They bought the land, which happens to come with an adorable Craftsman home that currently sits on it.
So . . . it’s for sale. How much?
Because they essentially bough the land and the house is uninhabitable, they aren’t certain of the value. They are willing to consider different offers and work something out that benefits everyone. A very rough estimate would be $50-75k, based on some input they received from Historic Houston.
- This House Needs A Home [The Heights Life]
Photo of 1620 Cortlandt St.: The Heights Life
Historic Houston was contacted to see if the house could be donated to the Relocation Program after going through the C of A process required. There has been no discussion with the owner as to the value of the house only a conversation regarding an estimated price for moving.
Come on people! This is a historic district! Is it uninhabitable or adorable? Obviously, it’s habitable or the new owners wouldn’t be looking to relocate it. According to HCAD, it’s on a 9900 square foot lot. Why not move it over. Then everyone wins…the neighbors get their bigger yard and the bungalow isn’t lost.
I think that it’s great that they are trying to save this house. I wish that more people would do so. I also think that it’s a good trend to see more people wanting larger lots and having the great American yard make a comeback in Houston. The fact is, if they didn’t buy it for a yard, some developer would have torn down that house without a thought and put a zer-lot-line monstrosity in its place. All would have been lost. This seems like a win-win for the house, Houston and the Heights.
Wow…they practically stole this from the previous owner’s estate…$320k for nearly 10k sqft
Relocating old houses is fine, but the point of a historic district is to see things in their original context. It is too late for the Heights. There is so little left that is anything like original, the designation is simply a cruel joke.
Why is it uninhabitable? Because it doesn’t contain all the flashy fixtures and oversized rooms of some MacMansions? Or is it that it doesn’t drip with Ersatz Victoriana Detailing? Or did they just turn off the water?
Agree with Lila in fact, if not in spirit. Individual large-lot homes in an otherwise dense urban district add flavor and variety.
Then again, “zero lot line monstrosities” can do the same. It really all depends on context.
And now on the demo list.
Wouldn’t asking the heights arsonist to stop by be a more fitting end if they’re just relegating it to the scrap heap?