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Historic commission reclassifies 3109 Morrison Street after new permit evidence
Summary
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted to reclassify 3109 Morrison Street in Woodland Heights from "contributing" to "non‑contributing" after staff presented building‑permit and inspector evidence showing the structure dates to about 1940; the decision drew neighborhood support and one recorded dissent.
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted Nov. 7 to recommend that City Council reclassify 3109 Morrison Street in the Woodland Heights Historic District as non‑contributing, after staff presented documentary and field evidence that the building was built in 1939–1940 and differs materially from the district’s period architecture.
Roman McGowan, the city’s preservation officer, told commissioners the director initiated the review because the property’s original inventory classification appeared to be incorrect. "Today, it's been shown, without question that the building was built in 1939," McGowan said, noting objective features including an 8‑foot plate height and asbestos‑style exterior sheathing that align with later platform‑frame construction rather than early‑20th‑century contributing houses.
The commission opened a public hearing that drew several neighbors and the applicant, Nat Smith, who said he had found the original building permit. "I had the building permit from August '20 of August '39, so I'm calling it a construction that was completed in 1940," Smith said, urging the commission to correct the inventory. Michael Graves, speaking for the Woodland Heights Civic Association, read the group’s letter of support and said the association backed reclassification because the structure does not reflect the Wilson‑era homes the district was created to protect.
Commissioners discussed legal and ordinance implications, including the standard that properties built outside a district’s period of significance are generally considered non‑contributing. After questions and deliberation, a motion to accept staff’s recommendation was moved and seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote with at least one recorded nay.
What happens next: HAHC’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action. The record and staff report filed with the commission include the building permit and the historic building inspector’s observations that formed the basis of the reclassification recommendation.
