Inside a Houston Townhome Pioneer’s Little Wonderland — Mid-Century Gem Hits the Market With a $849,000 Asking Price

Hugging the Edge of Tanglewood and Another Era of Houston

By Shelby Hodge // Sep 14, 2020

Photography TK Images

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The living room in this mid-century modern home in Houston's Tanglewood neighborhood opens to one of two interior courtyards. (Photo by TK Images)

The townhouse at 5000 Longmont with a Miesian-style courtyard design rises in a planned community secured behind gates on the edge of Tanglewood. (Photo by TK Images)

Decorative details of the living room. (Photo by TK Images)

The dining room overlooks one of two interior courtyards. (Photo by TK Images)

Two interior courtyards provide unique daylight and space for greenery in the townhouse design. (Photo by TK Images)

The interior courtyards are paved with antique bricks, lending a note of warmth to the space. (Photo by TK Images)

The entry from the front door reveals the dual courtyards. (Photo by TK Images)

Massive wooden doors offer entry to the 3,224 square foot townhouse. (Photo by TK Images)

Slate floors and soaring ceilings are distinctive features in the townhouse. (Photo by TK Images)

The dark-stained stairwell anchors one side of the central axis of the townhome. (Photo by TK Images)

The second floor landing. (Photo by TK Images)

The view from the second floor landing into the central hallway. (Photo by TK Images)

The kitchen at 5000 Longmont has been updated from its original mid-century design. (Photo by TK Images)

A study area in the master bedroom (Photo by TK Images)

The master bath (Photo by TK Images)

The second bedroom (Photo by TK Images)

Guest bath decorative detail (Photo by TK Images)

When architect Preston Bolton went out on his own in 1961, after having partnered with famed architect Howard Barnstone for a decade, he contributed to the mid-century inauguration of modern townhomes in Houston, which were at the time a rarity in the city of vast lawns draped in massive oak trees. Today, one of those unique properties is on the market, No. 15 at 5000 Longmont Drive.

Bolton developed the sophisticated pocket of 16 townhomes along the street located on the edge of Tanglewood, choosing to build his own home in the community secured behind high gates. No. 15 was designed in 1963 by Flowers & Maxwell Architects, a mid-century gem that addresses Miesian influences with its interior courtyard-embellished design. The property is on the market with a list price of $849,000.

While the proportions might seem modest by today’s standards at 3,224 square feet, the high ceilings and dual courtyards deliver an unexpected expansiveness to the dwelling. With only two bedrooms, each with full bath and both on the second floor, the rooms enjoy a certain spacious feel. And then there is the massive closet adjacent to the second bedroom which is deemed large enough to deal with a fashionista’s penchant for ballgowns. A second floor patio over looks one of the atriums.

Both atriums are screened thereby allowing the homeowner to open the doors to both courtyards for the flow of fresh air throughout the townhouse.

As would be expected in a house dating from 1963, the kitchen has been updated and features a large gas range and two ovens plus four large pantries that provide ample storage space not only for dry goods but also for silver, china and the like. All of which would come in handy for someone who enjoys entertaining at home, just as the open expanse of rooms on the ground floor invite an active social scene.

One might imagine that the townhouse, listed with Sissy Lappin of Lappin Realty, would be ideal for a bachelor or bachelorette or for a couple downsizing.