Dorrance, John M., House

The J. M. Dorrance House is the only house on Courtlandt Place showing the influence of the Mediterranean style, a form which developed in California in the early 20th century romanticizing the Spanish contribution to architecture of that area. The house reflects the elegance and architectural quality common along Courtlandt Place, one of Houston's earliest and most exclusive subdivisions. Designed by Sanguinet, Staats and Barnes in 1913, the house serves as an important historical link - with J. M. Dorrance, one of Houston's most influential and successful cotton brokers of the early 20th Century.

The plans for #9 Courtlandt Place were dated April 3, 1913, by Sanguinet, Staats & Barnes. The firm of Sanguinet & 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 moved to Houston to help the firm with their growing Houston clientele. In 1913 Alfred C. Finn, who had joined Sanguinet and Staats in 1904, moved to Houston to assist Barnes with the firm's Houston clients. Although both Barnes and Finn left the firm in 1915, Barnes was serving with the firm during the construction of the Dorrance House. 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), Medical Arts Building (1926), the old Houston National Bank (1926--listed on the National Register), and some of the first houses on Courtlandt Place---C. L. Neuhaus House (1910), James Autrey, Sr. House (1912), A. S. Cleveland House (1911), Sterling Myer House (1910), and the Dorrance House.

John M. Dorrance, the original owner of #9 Courtlandt Place, was an important figure in the early days of the thriving cotton industry. As one of the largest cotton brokers and exporters in Texas, Dorrance achieved financial success and recognition in his field.

Born in Worchester, Massachusetts in 1852, Dorrance spent most of his life in the cotton business. He began as an office boy with a firm in North Carolina and in 1884 moved with his wife to Houston, where he worked for several years with J, W. Garrow and Co. In 1897 Dorrance formed a partnership with George Neville and Robert Cairns and several years later founded his own firm of Dorrance and Co. This company became one of the oldest and largest cotton firms in the city.

Dorrance was also active in civic affairs serving as vice-president of the Southern Texas commercial National Bank of Houston, director of the Guardian Trust Co., president of the Shippers Compress Co., and vice-president of the Houston Cotton Exchange.

John Dorrance died in 1935 at the age of 82 in his home on Courtlandt Place. The family continued to own it until 1942. Current owners of the house, the Hirshbergs, have been a significant force in encouraging research and preservation of the neighborhood.