Truxillo Gardens #1

Bart Truxillo was a key figure in the historic preservation movement in Houston and a co-founder of what is today Preservation Houston.  Among his properties was one in our First Ward neighborhood, a 14,000 square foot lot with four small, historic houses on it, prominently located on Houston Avenue.  When his estate listed that property for sale in late 2017, we feared the charming folk houses would be demolished for redevelopment, as too often happens.

So, we purchased the property ourselves, and are renovating the houses one by one.  This is the first to be completed.  We completely reworked the makeshift floor plan, and added a master bedroom at the rear.  Yet most of the materials used, in particular the wainscoting on the walls and the windows and trim, are original to the house.

As of September 2020, renovations are complete on three of the four houses. All the houses will share the same paint scheme, roofing and fencing for a cohesive appearance.  The project is named Truxillo Gardens to honor Bart’s memory.

PHOTOS BY Miro Dvorscak