Stevenson, Joseph R. and Mary M., House

The Joseph R. and Mary M. Stevenson House at 804 Harold Street, Houston, Harris County, Texas is an exceptional example of Craftsman-influenced architecture. Named for Mary McDonald Stevenson and Joseph Rosenfield Stevenson, founder of the Fortune 500 company, Stewart & Stevenson. The Stevenson House was built in 1915 in the Montrose Addition of Houston by noted builder E.L. Crain, president of Crain Ready-Cut Houses Company. The Stevensons lived in the house during the early years of their marriage and family life, which was also the formative period for Stewart and Stevenson. After World War II, they sold this home and moved to the River Oaks area of Houston.

Joseph "Joe" Rosenfield Stevenson was one of four children born to John and Rebecca Stevenson. Stevenson's father, John Wister Stevenson was a railroad engineer and a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who stopped in Houston on his way to the California "Gold Rush." He met Rebecca Rosenfield, soon married, and remained in Texas the rest of his life. Rebecca's parents who immigrated from Vienna, Austria to Houston in the 1800s, provided all six of their daughters with an education at Miss Brown's Private School.

After Joseph's birth in Houston, on August 14, 1880, the family moved to the railroad roundhouse in Yoakum, Texas, later returning to Houston, where he graduated from Central High School. Always interested in design, Joseph wished to be an architect. When he was unable to continue with his education, he chose to apprentice with Mossert Keller, a carriage maker. According to his daughter, Matlin Stevenson, "he could do anything with his hands" and he "matched color exactly."

On November 3, 1902, Joseph married another Houstonian, his neighbor Mary Emma McDonald, born October 4, 1880. Mary's mother was born in Galveston and her family, the Knights, owned Galveston's first opera house. Mary's father, also a railroad engineer, had immigrated from Ireland. A year after the Stevenson's marriage, Joseph R. Stevenson, entered into a formal partnership agreement with C. Jim Stewart on April 4, 1903, founded Stewart & Stevenson, a general blacksmith and carriage shop. This was the inception of a business that was to grow and diversify over the century to become one of the largest design, manufacturing, and distribution companies in the world. Joseph R. and Mary M. Stevenson had two children, Marguerite "Madlin", born September 28, 1904, and Joseph Donald, born July 2, 1910. Joseph R. and Mary M. lived with the McDonalds on Nance Street, where both their children were born until they were able to build a small house at 1207 Elgin.

Also during these early years of the 20th century, the developer John Wiley Link, and associates in The Houston Land Corporation, were selecting land with great care, intending to make the Montrose Addition "the most superbly developed residential area, not only in the City of Houston, but the entire South."

In October 1912, parts of the Montrose Addition were first placed on the market. The first residence was started in January 1912, and over 65 residences were completed by the end of the year. The development was modeled after the St. Louis "private places" with streets conforming to the city grid pattern, landscaping creating park-like settings and deed restrictions establishing high minimum standards. Eleven miles of street, bordered by 22 miles of concrete curbs and sidewalks, were paved with particular attention to proper drainage design. Sewer, water, and gas utilities were built. Edward Teas Sr., founder of Teas Nursery in the 1800s and first landscape architect in the area, designed the landscaping. The esplanades and streets were landscaped with evergreens and camphor, 4,000 shade trees, and seven carloads of palms. A streetcar line, known as the Montrose Line, was built through the entire addition. J.W. Link completed his own home on the southwest corner of Montrose Boulevard and West Alabama Street in 1912, for over $60,000.00.

In 1915, with Mary's inheritance, the Stevensons bought the lot at 804 Harold Street. Joseph, fulfilling his desire to be an architect, designed his home for Houston's newest and most prestigious neighborhood, the Montrose Addition.

To build the house, the Stevensons hired E.L. Crain, founder of the Crain Ready-Cut Houses Company. Crain was born in Longview, Texas on March 30, 1885, to Lula Brown Crain and E.E. Crain, a pioneer druggist. In 1903, after attending Southwestern University at Georgetown, Crain moved to Houston where he first engaged in banking, then real estate, and finally construction. He married Ann Vive Carter, daughter of S.F. and Carrie Carter, on November 23, 1915, and had three sons, E.L. Crain Jr., Carter F. Crain, and Richard Crain.

In 1915, Crain had just established the Crain Ready-Cut House Company, one of the first, and destined to become one of the largest prefabricated concerns in the world. Crain specialized in complete house building of colony houses for railroad, oil, and mining companies. The company concept was to provide an economical, total package. It furnished plans and all construction materials, ready-cut, to eliminate waste. The New Encyclopedia of Texas, Vol. I, 1926 described "the material bill on these houses is complete to the last detail, windows doors, woodwork, glass, paints, hardware, nails, lath, and roofing, with complete instructions for completing, going out with each order."

On the other end of the spectrum, Crain became a noted custom builder, constructing fine houses not only in the Montrose area but later in prestigious neighborhoods such as Southampton and River Oaks. He developed the popular subdivisions Garden Oaks, Southside Place, and parts of Riverside Terrace, Cherryhurst, and Pineview. He also restored and operated Sylvan Beach, a nostalgic and popular entertainment park. Over the years, Crain provided houses for at least 25,000 Houstonians. His grandson, Gene Crain, President of Crain Construction Company, Inc., currently continues the tradition as a custom residential contractor in Houston.

The Joseph R. and Mary M. Stevenson House, on the northwest corner of Harold Street and Connors Street, now Stanford Street, was completed in 1915. The Stevenson House is a handsome expression of the American Craftsman movement with Prairie School influences. Apropos to the Stevenson House is architectural historian Stephen Fox's description of the Oaks, an example of Wright's Prairie School, c.1919: "the horizontal articulation achieved with unbroken eave lines... continuous molded bands at the sill levels... treatment of the porch supports as solid piers terminating in small, molded caps."

The simplicity of Craftsman design, a reaction to the elaborate Victorian era, was favored in Montrose and Houston during the 1910s and 20s. California Architects, Henry & Charles Greene, refined and elaborated the Craftsman bungalow, bringing to the form their appreciation for the traditional architecture of Japan and Switzerland. In Houston, E.L. Crain produced catalogs for his ready-to-assemble bungalows detailing the gable stick work and exposed rafter and brackets. The design reflected the no-nonsense approach to life in the Southwest. Characterized by clean lines, solid construction, and practical design such as deep overhangs to protect one from the harsh sun, the expanded bungalow suited the lifestyle of the Stevensons and the open spirit of the booming Houston community.

Many other well-known Houston families are associated with Montrose. Governor Ross Sterling owned the property sold to the Houston Land Company. J.W. Link, a successful lumber businessman from Orange, Texas, developed the property with backing from prominent Houston businessmen. The property at 4121 Yoakum Boulevard, the first residence in Houston using precast concrete, was purchased in 1919 by Hugh M. Potter. In 1923, a house for Walter W. Fondren, founder of Humble Oil Company, was built at the northwest corner of Montrose Boulevard and Harold Street. Howard Hughes lived on Montrose Boulevard and Lyndon Johnson lived in the Montrose area while teaching school.

Noted Architects designing houses in Montrose included Sanguinet, Staats and Barnes; H.T. Lindeberg; Alfred C. Finn, and others. Contractors contributing to the creation of Houston's finest neighborhoods, built in Montrose included: E.L. Crain, Russell Brown Company, W.B. Young Contracting Company, and Lightfoot-Bolten Company. A noted bungalow, designed and built in 1923 by E. Lightfoot for his family, is at 3702 Audubon Place, and E.L. Crain built his own house at 1117 Lovett Boulevard.

Although a number of stately houses were built in Montrose, the greatest number housed the growing upper middle class and the middle class. The majority of properties in the addition ranged from $3,000 to $8,000, with the bungalow the favored type. In an article published in Cite Magazine in 1986, Architect William F. Stern says that John W. Link and his associates personified the spirit of their times: "While they were obviously real estate developers, they also returned to the community neighborhoods replete with a multitude of affordable, sensible and appropriately planned houses, built on abundantly landscaped streets."

In 1928, the Stevensons built a second house, which stands today, at Shore Acres on Galveston Bay. There the family spent weekends and holidays, and sailed their boat, the "gypsy queen." Joseph R. and Mary M. Stevenson, both active in their community and church, lived with their son and his wife at 804 Harold Street, from 1915 until after World War II.

The subsequent generations of Stevensons continued the tradition of participation in the family business and civic activities. The Stevenson's daughter, Madlin graduated from Saint Agnes Academy, attended finishing school in France, and was married for a short time. In 1923, her wedding reception was held at the family home at 804 Harold. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas and a design degree from the Chicago School of Art. She has practiced interior design continuously since. Her association with Suniland Furniture Company of Houston spans 43 years. At age 90 she lives in Shore Acres near Baycliff and continues to serve her loyal clients. Madlin donated one million dollars to Texas A&M University for the construction of the Stevenson Companion Animal Life Care Center. In 1933, Stevenson's son Joseph Donald married Mildred Doyle of San Antonio. The second-story addition to the Stevenson House accommodated Donald and his new wife. In 1945, as the country was beginning to emerge from World War II and the Stevensons' business and families began to boom, they moved to 3015 Locke Lane in River Oaks, Houston's new prestigious neighborhood.

Under the direction of Joseph R. Stevenson and C. Jim Stewart, Stewart & Stevenson evolved to become one of the largest diesel engine design, manufacturing, and distribution companies in the world.

Stevenson who was president of the company, kept active in his work until his death at 73 years of age, on December 4, 1953, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston. Mary M. Stevenson, living to 100 years of age, died on July 19, 1980.

The Stewart and Stevenson sons and grandsons became active participants in the growth of Stewart & Stevenson. Joseph Donald Stevenson became president of Stewart & Stevenson and was active in the management of the company until his death on July 12, 1989. Joseph Donald and Mildred Stevenson's sons, Donald born January 3, 1944, and Keith born November 20, 1946, are currently officers and active managers at Stewart & Stevenson, which today is a Fortune 500 company and a leader in energy systems.

There have been four sets of subsequent property owners over the years. Charles Edward Pizzatola purchased the Stevenson house in 1945 from Joseph R. Stevenson. Charles Edward Pizzatola, born in December 1893 in Morgan's Point, Texas was married to Pauline Pizzatola, born January 10, 1903, in Texas. Prior to purchasing the house at 804 Harold Street, he owned and lived above Pizzatola's Grocery Store on Clark Street in Houston. He had paid approximately $15,000 for the house which the family sold for $60,000 in 1974. No significant remodeling was conducted during this period.

George D. Price purchased the Stevenson house from the Pizzatola family on November 25, 1974. He converted the 1933 garage addition into a study, enclosed the small utility porch, and added the carport to the detached garage. Mr. Price sold the house a year later.
Richard L. and Doris M. Petronella purchased the Stevenson house in 1975 for approximately $70,000. Richard and Doris, both native Houstonians, updated the kitchen and powder room, installed central air-conditioning, and removed the front driveway to the 1933 addition. Doris Petronella received the house in a divorce settlement on January 23, 1979. She updated the 1933 bathroom addition and removed the covered walkway to the rear garage.

Jon A. Martin purchased the Stevenson House from Doris Petronella on December 15, 1992 for $250,000. Martin is a self-employed financial consultant. He enclosed the carport attached to the detached garage in 1993 and is in the process of restoring the altered 1933 addition.

STEWART & STEVENSON -- A Fortune 500 Company

In the early 1900s, C. Jim Stewart and Joseph R. Stevenson laid the foundation for a company that since has grown into an international organization. Stewart & Stevenson provides power systems worldwide. Starting as a blacksmith and wagon repair shop in 1902, the company fueled its growth with the advances of science and industry: first with the auto truck business early in the century; then diesel engines and generators in the 1930s; aircraft ground-support equipment in the 1950s; gas, turbine equipment for petroleum, military and commercial markets in the 1970s; aeroderivative cogeneration systems in the 1980s; a radically redesigned family of tactical vehicles for the Army in the early 1990s; and most recently, a variety of new products, including natural gas fuel systems, snowblowers, rail car movers, wheelchair lifts and more. Stewart & Stevenson also distributes products and provides after-market parts and services for Detroit Diesel, General Motors' ElectroMotive and Allison Divisions, Hyster, ThermoKing, John Deere, and others. The company was founded in 1902 by C. Jim Stewart, a blacksmith by trade, and joined by Joseph R. Stevenson, a carriage maker by trade, on April 4, 1903. They pooled their resources to the extent of $300 each to form a blacksmithing business, serving the community horse and buggy trade, with the first "horseshoeing parlor" in Houston at 1712 Congress Avenue.

It was not just any ordinary stable, but an indoor parlor. Management worked alongside horses. Groomers, as well as managers, wore three-piece business suits. Handcrafted carriages, buggies, and wagons were the pride of the organization, and by 1905 their reputations spread citywide.

The largest and most prosperous horseshoeing parlor in Texas concentrated on shoeing horses, building and repairing wagons and buggies until the emerging prominence of the automobile, about 1908, when the company gradually became more involved with cars and trucks. Stewart & Stevenson built the first four-door touring car body in Houston. Mr. Stewart made springs and other hardware and Mr. Stevenson made wooden parts such as wheels and bodies for trucks.

During the 1920s the company ventured into the truck leasing business, by leasing a small fleet of trucks to Anheuser Bush. In 1924 the DuPont organization selected Stewart & Stevenson as the exclusive distributor for its new Duco automobile enamel paint line. Stewart & Stevenson became the licensee of Hertz Systems, Inc. in the 1930s and became one of the major truck leasing operations in the South. In 1938, the Engine Division was created after securing a distributorship for a new General Motors diesel engine. The engines were sold to rice farmers, cotton gins, ice plants, lumber mills, and other industries.

During World War II, the company was called upon by the U.S. Government and its allies for diesel-driven equipment and received many letters of commendation. One such letter, dated September 12, 1945, from General Brehon Somerville, commended Stewart & Stevenson for the "equipment and supplies which have been such a decisive factor in winning the war."

After the war, the organization's innovative engineering continued to contribute to the development of diesel power and the creation of a large variety of new products and services, becoming a world leader in engineered power systems. In 1991 Stewart & Stevenson was named to the Fortune 500 list of industrial companies and began supplying the U.S. Army's family of medium tactical vehicles. Currently, Stewart & Stevenson provides engineering products and services for a multitude of industries including airline, power generation, marine, defense, petroleum, turbine, transit, and farming.