Heritage, 2010, Volume 1 Page: 10
31 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Above: Another historic bungalow located in the Norhill neighborhood. Below: Street signs in Norhill announce
its historic designation. Photos by Stan Davis.until the 1940s). As mentioned previously,
dedicated space was also allotted for schools
and churches, as well as a section for com-
mercial businesses servicing area residents.
Today, the commercial area of Norhill is
home to restaurants and antique shops. In
keeping with William Hogg's commitment
to integrate the beauty of nature into neigh-
borhood living, a series of park-like espla-
nades were incorporated into the layout of
Norhill (River Oaks as well). Two of these
tree-lined, grassy expanses were positionedto divide and enhance the neighborhood's
main thoroughfare, Norhill Boulevard. To-
day, this design element is still a defining
and historically significant characteristic
of Norhill. Developers would also set aside
a plot of land for Proctor Plaza Park as a
recreational outdoor space for residents to
enjoy; this property was sold to the city of
Houston for one dollar. The original main-
tenance building servicing the park remains
intact. Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Asso-
ciation, a still-active community organiza-
HERITAGE Volume 1 2010tion comprised of Norhill residents, would
derive its name from this park.
Dedicated green space areas were a key
element in Hogg's vision for a master-
planned community. However, the real
estate developer further believed that deed
restrictions were essential to protecting and
preserving Norhill's physical aesthetic and
maintaining the quality of residential liv-
ing it promoted. For example, the original
restrictions established that homeowners
could not convert a garage into additional
living space and could not build a house
for more than three times the cost of the
lot. According to Kathy Cameron, PPNA
historian, the former restriction still stands,
but for obvious reasons, the construction
costs for a home soon exceeded the latter
directive. At the time of development, this
cost limit was put in place to keep Norhill
an affordable neighborhood. Stan Davis,
current PPNA president, says that the more
significant deed restrictions-a directive
that no home be used for commercial pur-
poses, the establishment of a minimum lot
size to prevent the subdivision of lots, and a
requirement that improvements to a house
conform to the original style and appear-
ance of homes in the neighborhood-have
been instrumental in preserving Norhill's
historic integrity.
Courtney Tardy, director of the Historic
Neighborhoods Council for the Greater
Houston Preservation Alliance, agrees with
Davis, but says that by keeping up with the
renewal and enforcement of the established
deed restrictions, Norhill's active neighbor-
hood association has been a key factor in
sustaining its 1920's charm. She explains,
"From 1902 forward, most of Houston's
older neighborhoods were established with
deed restrictions in place. However over
time, many communities lost these restric-
tions, most often by not renewing them on
an ongoing basis as is often required." She
adds that in respect to Houston Heights,
"the neighborhood was initially a separate
city and had zoning laws and deed restric-
tions in place. But when it was incorporated
into the city of Houston, those protections
were lost." Houston Heights, which is also
rich in early-20th century bungalow homes,
is now struggling to preserve what is left ofI Il llb - __ ~~_~ I dl~bS~E
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2010, Volume 1, periodical, 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254216/m1/10/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.