Norhill, Houston
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Norhill, Houston is an historic neighborhood in northwest-central Houston, TX (USA). It is adjacent to the more widely known
Houston Heights Houston Heights (often referred to simply as "The Heights") is a community in northwest-central Houston, Texas, United States. "The Heights" is often referred to colloquially to describe a larger collection of neighborhoods next to and including ...
neighborhood as well as Woodland Heights. Norhill is distinguished by its prevalence of
bungalows A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a bu ...
and the green spaces known as
esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
s.


History

Developed in 1920 by William C. Hogg, Norhill is divided into Norhill, North Norhill, and East Norhill.City of Houston Historic Designation Report. (1999). Retrieved January 19, 2013 from http://www.norhill.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/norhill_historic_designation.pdf . The pastureland on which the neighborhood was built was originally owned by Henry Stude who purchased the land in 1873. Following Stude's passing in 1905, his widow and children traded the land for stock in the Stude Holding Association which voted shortly thereafter to subdivide the land. By 1920, the Association had teamed with Hogg and changed their name to Varner Realty Company. The name Varner is reported to have come from “Varner Plantation”, the retirement home of Hogg's father
James Stephen Hogg James Stephen "Jim" Hogg (March 24, 1851March 3, 1906) was an American lawyer and statesman, and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was born near Rusk, Texas. Hogg was a follower of the conservative New South Creed which became popular following ...
, former Texas Governor. William C. Hogg was both Chairman of the City Planning Commission and a wealthy investor. He played an important role influencing the growth of Houston during the 1920s. Norhill was developed first in 1920 with 388 lots bordered by Studewood, Usener, Michaux, and Pecore Streets. North Norhill was developed next in May 1923 with 555 lots in an area bordered by Studewood, North Main, Michaux, and Pecore Streets. East Norhill was developed in June 1924 with 292 lots bordered by Michaux, Fugate, Moss, and Key Streets. Accessible by both streetcar and auto, Norhill grew with residents at a time when the population in Houston was booming and quality housing was in demand for working-class citizens.


Architecture

Bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
s in Norhill were commonly built from commercially available plans sold through catalogs such as Ladies' Home Journal or Sears Roebuck and Co. and could be easily constructed on 50 by 100 foot lots. With rooms that open up to each other and covered porches that provide an outdoor living space, the bungalow was an ideal home for Houston's often warm and humid climate. As was popular during this time, Norhill homes were often built from a ''kit'' shipped directly to the lot containing all of the building materials needed for a particular design. Today, Norhill remains a “concentrated intact collection of houses built in various bungalow styles, many of which feature low-pitched roofs, simple designs, and trademark porches anchored by brick pillars and tapered wood columns."Soine, D. (2001, Issue 29). Norhill: Preserving a Piece of Houston's History. ''American Bungalow''. Retrieved January 19, 2013 from http://www.norhill.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Norhill_Bungalow_Magazine_article0001.pdf. Represented bungalow styles include Colonial, Spanish, Hipped, English and Craftsman.Murtha, P. (2010, Vol. 1). Houston’s Norhill Historic District: An Unchanging Neighborhood in Changing Times. ''Texas Heritage: A Publication of the Texas Historical Foundation''. Retrieved January 19, 2013 from http://www.norhill.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Heritage_March_2010_Norhill_article_combined.pdf Whereas the neighboring Houston Heights has many historic homes with Victorian flourishes, Norhill bungalows are generally distinguished by cleaner lines with minimal ornamentation.


Greenspace

Hogg's interest in weaving green areas into housing developments is apparent. The Norhill esplanades are not unlike those incorporated into Hogg's development of the affluent
River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael H ...
neighborhood. The long green esplanades lend a park-like feel to Norhill Boulevard, a north–south residential street which runs through much of the neighborhood. Hogg also incorporated space for a park into the layout. Sold to the City of Houston for $1.00, this area was developed into Proctor Plaza Park.


Historic District Designation

Through the efforts of Norhill's residents and what is now known as th
Norhill Neighborhood Association
(formerly Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association encompassing North and East Norhill) North Norhill and East Norhill were designated a Historic District in 2000 by the City of Houston and th


Public schools

The Norhill neighborhood is within the bounds of the
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
. Elementary schools serving sections of Norhill include Browning (between 11th Street and 14th Street), Field (north of 14th Street), and Travis in Woodland Heights (Norhill areas south of 11th Street). James S. Hogg Middle School, the zoned middle school, offers a magnet program for math, science, technology and robotics, while
Heights High School Heights High School, formerly John H. Reagan High School, is a senior high school located in the Houston Heights in Houston, Texas. It serves students in grades nine through twelve and is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Height ...
(formerly Reagan High School), the zoned high school, features the district's magnet school of computer technology.


Infrastructure

Harris Health System The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includin ...
(formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Casa de Amigos Health Center in
Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * "Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...
for the ZIP code 77009. The nearest public hospital is
Ben Taub General Hospital Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students fro ...
in the
Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrate ...
.


Parks and recreation

Proctor Plaza Park is in East Norhill block 213.Harris County Block Book Maps. Volume 62, Page 126. East Norhill, Block 213
PDF
an
JPG
- Marked as Proctor Plaza Park


Biannual Norhill Bungalow Home Tour

Every other year, the Norhill Neighborhood presents a home tour featuring fine examples of Norhill bungalow architecture as a means to raise funds for the association. The las
Norhill Bungalow Home Tour
was held on Saturday, October 15, 2022.


References


External links


Norhill Neighborhood Association (website for North Norhill and East Norhill) Houston Heights Association (website for the neighbording Houston Heights)Woodland Heights Civic Association (website for Norhill and the neighboring Woodland Heights)
{{coord, 29.790, -95.384, region:US-TX, display=title Neighborhoods in Houston