Autry, James L., House
5 Courtlandt Pl., Houston, TXThe James L. Autry House, designed by Sanguinet & Staats with Alfred Finn in 1912, is an excellent example of the Neo-Classical Revival architecture and reflects the elegance and architectural quality common along Courtland Place, one of Houston's earliest and most exclusive subdivisions. James L. Autry was a significant figure in the early days of the Texas oil industry and his house on Courtlandt Place represents a period of personal professional and financial success.
The architectural firm of Sanguinet & Staats originated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They designed a number of significant buildings in this area, including the Wilson Building in Dallas, the first eight-story building in Texas. Alfred C. Finn had joined the firm in Dallas in 1904 and in 1912 was hired as the associate on this house in Houston. In 1913 Finn joined A. E. Barnes in Houston to handle the firm's Houston business, but by 1915 Finn left the firm and went into practice for himself. After this time Finn designed some very important works in Texas among them the Governor Ross S. Sterling House (1915), the San Jacinto Monument & Museum (1939), Gulf Building (1929), Metropolitan Theater (1926), Sam Houston Coliseum/ Music Hall (1937) and the W. C. Hunt House (1920-21) on Courtlandt Place.
Born in Holly Springs, Mississippi on November 4, 1859, James L. Autry moved to Navarro County in 1876 to undertake management of a ranch. After studying under a Corsicana lawyer, he was admitted to the bar in 1880. In partnership with W. J. McKie, Autry served as counsel to J. S. Cullinan, the oil entrepreneur who moved to Corsicana with the oil boom in the 1890' With the discovery of oil at spindletop in 1902, Cullinan moved to Beaumont to form the Texas Fuel Co. and Autry followed in 1904 to become general counsel. In 1905 the company reorganized and expanded into the Texas Company (later known as Texaco) in which Autry was elected a director and became general attorney. Autry moved to Houston in 1908 when the corporate offices moved to take advantage of other oil fields down the Gulf Coast and within a few years Autry built his home on Courtlandt Place. In 1913 Autry, Cullinan and Will C. Hogg resigned from the Texas Co. and formed the Fidelity Trust Co., Farmer's Petroleum Co., American Petroleum Co., an Republic Production Co. Autry served as president of the Farmers Petroleum Co., president of Fidelity Trust Co., and vice-president and general counsel of the last two under the combined name of American Republic Co.
Autry suffered a stroke in 1915 and spent the last five years of his life a semi-invalid. He died on September 29, 1920. His wife, daughter Allie, and son James L. Autry, III remained in the house. The family sold it in1938.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.