Matthews-Johnson House
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
William and Regina (Meyers) Matthews had this house built in 1915. William, a civil engineer and chief draftsman for the Sunset Central Lines, contracted with W. T. Carter Lumber and Building Co. to erect the house. The house is a well-preserved early Craftsman bungalow with late Victorian influences. Significant architectural elements include a hipped roof, gabled front entry, L-shaped porch with tapered square wood columns, tracery windows and exposed rafter ends. In 1930, the Matthews sold the house to Ernest and Gertrude Johnson. Ernest was a pumper and labor leader for the Sinclair Oil Co., and the Johnsons converted attic spaces to bedrooms with dormer windows for their five daughters. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2008
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
William and Regina Matthews had this Craftsman bungalow built in 1915, hiring the W. T. Carter Lumber and Building Co. to raise a well-detailed house with a hipped roof, L-shaped porch on tapered columns, tracery windows, and exposed rafter ends. William worked as a civil engineer and chief draftsman for the Sunset Central Lines railroad. In 1930 the Johnsons—Ernest, a pumper and labor leader for Sinclair Oil—bought the home and converted the attic into dormered bedrooms for their five daughters.
Why it matters
The house links two working families to the railroad and oil industries that powered early-20th-century Houston, preserved in a fine example of Craftsman-era design.
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Related people
- · William Matthews
- · Regina Matthews
- · Ernest Johnson
Themes & tags
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