National Register Listing

Stewart, Dr. James M. and Dove, House

5702 Fourth St., Katy, TX

The Dr. James M. and Dove Stewart House (ca. 1900) is named after the original two occupants. The house was one of the first built in the modest community of Katy, Harris County, at the turn of the century. Dr. and Mrs. Stewart occupied the house both as the residence and a doctor's office. The first telephone installed in Katy originated at Dr. Stewart's office where he served as a prominent local doctor from ca. 1900 until his death in 1934. The Stewart meets Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a good example of a Queen Anne L-plan later modified to a T-shape with more Classical Revival and bungalow details. The house reflects residential designs common in growing communities in Texas at the turn of the century. In all aspects, the house is typical of construction materials used at the time that were especially suited to the Katy and Texas Gulf Coast climate. Two outbuildings remain on the property, the garage at the northeast corner is Contributing while the patio is Noncontributing.

Dr. and Mrs. Stewart arrived in Katy around 1898, after he graduated from Vanderbilt University. He became the first and only doctor in Katy until his death in 1934. His earliest means of making house calls were in a horse-drawn buggy, but he later bought a car. Dr. Stewart, however, never learned to drive so he always had a young man drive him to his patient's houses. He housed the young men on his property in a tower building that no longer exists. He also built a garage on his property which still exists.

When Dr. Stewart first built his house, he used the wide entrance hall, as his clinic. He charged $15 to deliver a baby. He told his wife that he could not afford to install carpet in the house until he had delivered a certain amount of children. Most of his business was done on a charge basis. Since Katy was a farming community, he received a lot of his payments in the fall after the fall harvest. Most doctors filled their own prescriptions, but Dr. Stewart trained John M. Wright to fill his drug prescriptions. Doctors and "pharmacists" generally learned of new medicines from a drug salesman. Later, pharmacists received professional training in filling prescriptions and in the use of medicines. In 1913 Wright earned his first "papers" as a pharmacist.

In 1903, Stewart and Wright built a separate drug store in Katy to house the growing medical practice and pharmacy business. The building was on the corner of 2nd Street and Avenue B. Built late in the year, the official christening dance was held shortly before Christmas at the store. It was opened for business in March 1904. Stewart and Wright remained partners until Stewart's death in 1934.

Dr. Stewart was interested in the best way of doing business. He had the first telephones installed in Katy between his house, Wright's house, and the drugstore. With his drivers living on his property, he was ready to respond to emergencies immediately. Dr. Stewart, his wife, and one of his drivers are featured in front of the house in Photograph # 1.

Dr. Stewart's house originally reflected Victorian, Queen Anne style features with prominent spindlework. It was painted to highlight Victorian details typical of houses of the era. The L-plan form of the original house is also typical of vernacular dwellings in both rural and urban areas at the turn of the century. The typical plan of a reception hall, a bay window, and some evidence of a pantry fit the description of the original portion of the house.

An addition was constructed, ca. 1920, that added a second-floor room, a stair, another bedroom, an indoor bath, and a dining room. The exterior details were then modified to include the cast concrete columns, the added front porch, and the foundation to raise the house higher off of the ground. By this time, the entire house was used as a home, with the doctor's office now located with the pharmacy. The remodeling followed the original construction in materials, scale, and detailing. The added dormer on the second floor has the same fishscale pattern as the original bay window. These 1920s alterations are quite typical of many dwellings where the owner wanted to update his residence along with popular architectural trends. These changes reflect the popularity of Classical Revival dwellings and bungalows. It appears that other modifications were made ca. 1950 with the kitchen being the major addition on the east.

Katy Texas suffered some major blows to its growth when U.S. 90 was transformed into Interstate 10 about 1965 and detoured away from the central business district. Poor freeway access, a continual problem for Katy, became a primary problem for retailers. Large retailers located elsewhere, and the growth of west Houston continually drew business away from Katy. In recent years, the town has begun to attract small businesses back into its core area. However, many residential buildings in this neighborhood did not survive. The Stewart House survived because of its history.

The house is close to its original condition, even though it has been vacant since the 1980s. The style is a pure example of the popular gable L-plan with Victorian detailing that was very significant from the 1890s to the 1920s in this part of the country. It was a style identified as a village residence in a rural area.

The current owners have restored the house to its original appearance as in photographs # 3-6. They plan to maintain the house as it is now for their retail business. One of the original outbuildings is demolished. Two outbuildings remain, one noted as a Non-contributing building, the other Contributing.

The Stewart House represents a piece of the founding and growth of Katy, Texas during the turn of this century. Long overshadowed by Houston, Katy is still a thriving small town. There are no other buildings with National Register status in Katy at this time.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1996.