Historic 1926 Mansion Hits the Houston Real Estate Market

By unusual coincidence, yet another exceptional Birdsall Briscoe-designed home is on the market. We visited the $14.8 million Groveland Lane residence in River Oaks in November and now we take a look at the so-called Pincoffs House in the exclusive Broadacres enclave.

Completed in 1926, 10 years before the Groveland house, this gracious beauty bears all the architectural hallmarks of the era while enjoying the comforts of modern day living.

With a price tag of $4.5 million, the near 5,800 square foot dwelling could be considered within reach, compared to its costlier successor. The architectural oeuvre that defined Briscoe’s work are in abundance in the Pincoffs House from the ample use of decorative wrought-iron to his fondness for symmetry and restrained proportions.

Early 20th century sensibilities are expressed throughout the three-bedroom home that features beautiful hardwood floors, rich millwork and light-filled rooms that open to magnificent gardens on the near one-acre site.  Four wood-burning fireplaces add to the romance of the house. As noted by the Texas State Historical Association, “Briscoe’s finest houses, designed between 1926 and 1940, exhibit the array of historical architectural styles characteristic of American eclectic architecture and are distinguished by the architect’s gift for harmonious proportion and full-bodied ornamental detail.”

Marble fireplaces, gently bowed ceilings, inlaid oak flooring, cased openings between rooms and an expansive sunroom all add to the elegance of this early 20th century dwelling. The third floor is built out offering a number of possibilities from a gym to personal office to media room. The bonus here is an over-sized, custom-fitted storage closet.

We particularly love the second-floor master bedroom which overlooks the rear lawn and swimming pool through three sets of French doors. Add built-in bookcases, window seat and a sitting area with a fireplace.

The beautifully-landscaped property includes a carriage house that is an architectural reduction of the main house. There are three garage bays on the ground floor with living quarters above. The latter has been updated and refurbished with a modern kitchenette, full bath and a divided living/bedroom.

Original landscaping was done by C.C. “Pat” Fleming, who reigned as Houston’s preeminent landscape architect from the 1920s onward. Ima Hogg commissioned his firm to design the north terrace and the Diana Garden of her Bayou Bend estate. The period splendor of Pincoffs House gardens was revived by the current owners who worked with Danny McNair of Glauser-McNair Inc.