A Heights Bungalow with Way More Space Than Meets the Eye
Surprise vaulted ceilings give this bungalow a roomy feel.
Image: Iconic Images
Between 1900 and 1925, Houston’s population was growing at a rapid clip, so William C. Hogg hatched a plan for providing housing. Hogg developed River Oaks, then billed as a "distinguished experiment in fine living." Read: big, fancy houses, many of which were designed by esteemed architects.
But before that, in 1920, Hogg also created Norhill, a subsection of what we today consider the Heights, with a different buyer in mind. It would be a “master-planned community…for the working man…rich in artistic bungalows.” Rather than hiring architects, contractors worked from established plan books of the popular Craftsman style. Houses were obligated to be set a healthy distance from the street, with additional infrastructure centrally accessible to all, like the esplanades beautifying Norhill Boulevard.
Norhill is an in-demand subsection of the Greater Heights neighborhood.
Image: Iconic Images
From the street, it’s not hard to imagine that this 1925 bungalow looks much the same as when the neighborhood was built out 100 years ago. The front still has many hallmarks of the bungalow construction, like a deep front porch trimmed in three tapering columns, wide front steps, and large double-hung windows. Inside, however, the floor plan tweaks the traditional, with surprise vaulted ceilings in many of the main living spaces and exposed wood beams crisscrossing the expanse to retain the bungalow scale.
Plenty of natural light pours into the kitchen area of this Heights bungalow.
Image: Iconic Images
A newly updated kitchen is wrapped in banks of cabinetry on two walls, and has a quartz-topped counter and prep island. A formal living room at the front is a boon for entertaining, while an easygoing, informal family room sits closer to the kitchen and dining room.
The living room at the front of the bungalow is fantastic for entertaining guests.
Image: Iconic Images
Thanks to a rear addition, there’s a lot more space than a typical bungalow of this era offers, too—3,720 square feet, to be exact—making room for two-bedroom en suites, a primary suite with its own high ceilings and exposed beams, and a fourth bedroom tucked into the third floor. An umbrella-covered deck space offers a spot outside to sit. But also, the esplanade is a very short distance away, just as Hogg intended.
Listing Fast Facts
Address: 1027 E 7th 1/2 St, Houston, TX 77009
Size: 3,720 square feet, 4 bedroom/3 bath
List Date: 6/1/2023
List Price: $1,388,000
Listing Agent: Cole Lumley, Compass
