Carter, W. T., Jr., House
18 Courtlandt Pl., Houston, TXIn a neighborhood full of excellent examples of early 20th century architecture, the W. T. Carter, Jr. House was one of the few to break with the pattern of the eclectic Revival styles to present the modern influences of the Prairie Style movement. Designed by Lorehn and Briscoe in 1912, the Carter House is an excellent example in Houston of the Prairie house motif and reflects the elegance and architectural quality common along Courtlandt Place, one of Houston's earliest and most exclusive neighborhoods. The house is also significant as the home of W. T. Carter, Jr. prominent in the lumber business, as well as real estate activities.
Although Birdsall P. Briscoe later completed seven designs for the Courtlandt Place subdivision, his design of the W. T. Carter, Jr, House, in partnership with Olle J. Lorehn, was his first commission in that neighborhood. Briscoe was one of Houston's finest domestic architects in the 20th century and practiced in that city from 1906-71.
In 1912 W. T. Carter, Jr. built the fifth house in the newly developed subdivision of Courtlandt Place for his family. Descendants of the Carter family owned and occupied the house until 1978. W. T. Carter, Jr., leader in the lumber business in Houston, was a major partner in the firm of W. T, Carter and Brothers Lumber Co., begun by his father W. T. Carter, Sr. in 1846. Active in the affairs of Houston, Carter served on the City Council, the Port Commission, and was instrumental in the founding of Gilbralter Savings and Loan. Carter was also active in the real estate business. At the urging of a cousin he purchased 400 acres of land in south Houston and tried to urge the city to build its first airport. The city refused, so they borrowed money from other family members and built their own facility, formed an aviation company mainly engaged in aerial surveys, and had the first air mail service inaugurated for Houston. Ten years later the city finally took over the facility, naming it Hobby Field, and the airport is still used today for commercial aviation.
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.