Some houses in Houston are icons, while others are absolute legends. The historic River Oaks mansion at 4019 Inverness Drive is the latter. Not only in lore, but in name itself. The house, completed in 1959 at the end of the Eisenhower administration and now an official City of Houston Protected Landmark, has been dubbed LEGEND. With good reason.
The Mrs. Knox B. Howe House is a metaphor for a Houston that has mostly vanished. Its intertwined architectural and ancestral provenance begins much earlier than 1959, dating back to the first quarter of the 20th century in Houston and traveling back even further to the heady days of the Republic of Texas.
This legendary River Oaks house was designed for the Howe-Briscoe family by Birdsall Parmenas Briscoe, FAIA. The home’s original owner Dorothy Virginia Trone Howe (later Mrs. Edmund McAshan Dupree,) was the widow of Knox Briscoe Howe, Briscoe’s cousin who shared his Briscoe-Harris lineage.
Today, decades later, the house is looking for its next owner.
Listed for $15 million by Kirsten Abney and Chaille Short of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, the expansive, 8,443-square-foot River Oaks manse boasts six bedrooms, seven full baths and three half baths. Not to mention three floors of elegant luxury after undergoing a masterful four-year restoration (taking place from 2021 through 2025) by Suzanne Duin-Stewart, ASID, and Joshua I. F. Jones, AIA.
In 2021, Suzanne Duin-Stewart, founder and owner of Maison Maison Design, and her husband Michael Stewart fell in love with 4019 Inverness Drive.
“From the beginning, the draw to LEGEND was personal,” Duin-Stewart tells PaperCity. “I adored the previous owner Dorothy Knox Houghton, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to restore a second piece of Briscoe architecture. The first Briscoe home I restored was also my personal residence, making this project not only a passion but a continuation of a story.”
Inside a Legendary River Oaks Home’s Renovation
Over the course of this River Oaks renovation, extensive reconstruction was completed on all the major systems while preserving flooring, doors, millwork, sash windows and more. Refreshed formal living spaces, a gourmet kitchen complemented by a temperature-controlled wine cellar and office nook, custom closets, marble-clad bathrooms and more beckon. Then there is the beautifully designed bluestone patios and in the summer kitchen — ideal for outdoor entertaining and relaxation.
The three-car garage was rebuilt to house a ground-floor exercise room and half-bath. Above, guest quarters with two en-suite bedrooms, a full kitchen and a living/dining area await. The amenities, features and finish-outs are endless.
Preservation was key when it came to restoring this important piece of Houston history.
“My goal was to fully restore the home while being mindful of preserving as many original features as possible,” Duin-Stewart says. “There are very few homes in our city that have been maintained and updated to this standard of grandeur. Great care was taken to honor the home’s history, period of construction and architectural details. With respect paid to the original homeowner.
“In fact, there is something in every room that serves as a tribute to Dorothy Knox Houghton and the history of LEGEND.”
Purchasing 4019 Inverness is more than just the chance to buy a beautiful River Oaks home. It’s the rare opportunity to be part of Houston’s rich history and heritage, picking up where the Howe/Houghton and Duin/Stewart families left off.
“It is hard to leave LEGEND, but this has always been my passion — restoring homes,” Duin-Stewart says. “I’ve spent much of my life doing this for others. And now I am ready for the next opportunity and a new home.”