Myer, Sterling, House
4 Courtlandt Pl., Houston, TXThe Sterling Myer House is an excellent example in Houston of the Tudor Revival style and reflects the elegance and architectural quality common along Courtlandt Place, one of Houston's earliest and most exclusive subdivisions. Sanguinet and Staats, who designed the first four houses built in the new subdivision, as well as several subsequent designs, revealed their eclectic tendency and proficiency in each of their designs. The Myer House, the second house built in the neighborhood, is the only house on the avenue showing the influence and adaptation of the medieval building form. The residence is further important as the home of one of the founders of Courtlandt Place, Sterling Myer.
The firm of Sanguinet and Staats originated in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. They designed a number of significant buildings in these two cities, including the 1902 Wilson Building in Dallas, the first eight-story building in Texas. A. E. Barnes, an architect and civil engineer from Dallas, joined the firm in 1902 and later opened up the firm's Houston office. Alfred C. Finn served with the firm in Houston from 1913-15. The firm later became known as Sanguinet, Staats and Gottlieb (1921-25), and then Hedrick & Gottlieb (1925-28). The current successor to the old firm is known as Wyatt C. Hedrick & Associates. Among the many buildings designed by the firm in Houston, some notable ones include the T. P. Lee House (1910), the old Houston Country Club (1908), the First Methodist Church (1910), the Medical Arts Building (1926), the old Houston National Bank (1926--listed on the National Register), and a number of private residences. Those on Courtlandt Place include the C. L. Neuhaus House (1910), James Autrey, Sr. House (1912), A. S. Cleveland House (1911), Sterling Myer House (1910), and the Dorrance House (1913-14).
An attorney with the firm of Hunt, Myer and Teagle and later Camp- bell, Myer and Freeman, Sterling Myer was one of the founders of the Courtlandt Improvement Company. This group was incorporated in 1906 to buy 15.474 acres of newly annexed Houston land and to develop an exclusive subdivision. His house was the second residence on the street. Myer served as the first president of the Courtlandt Improvement Company.
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.