Winlow Place is in Montrose, the heart and soul of Houston. Vibrant, yet established and cultured.
Our Location
Winlow Place is privileged to be nestled in the heart of a world-class urban city that grows and changes around it each day. Winlow Place is in Houston's inner loop in Montrose – it is mere minutes away (walking or driving) from some of Houston's greatest retail and dining experiences as well as all of the other amenities that make for a great quality of life – state-of-the-art museums, parks, grocery stores... all just three miles from downtown.
Our residents are able to live in beautiful (and many historical/architecturally significant) single-family homes that are protected by our deed restrictions through the work and efforts of the Winlow Place Civic Club. The Civic Club maintains an active presence and voice in the community, working collaboratively with the Houston City Council, Public Works and other groups such as the Neartown Association to work in the best interests of our city.
Winlow Place Civic Club serves hundreds of households as well as the Westheimer and West Alabama commercial properties. Our boundaries are from Dunlavy to McDuffie from the East to West, and from Westheimer to Alabama from the North to South as shown on the map above.
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
Our History
Lanier Middle School
The Winlow Place Addition was platted in 1923, and developed in 1925. The 50-year-old deed restrictions were re-written and renewed on January 1st, 1975, and amended again in 2000 and 2014 to further strengthen our neighborhood. Many of the homes still standing today were built as early as 1923-1928.
Winlow Place Civic Club was organized on July 21st, 1965, and is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the neighborhood and to the enforcement of the residential deed restrictions. Winlow Place Civic Club is a Texas 50l(c)(4) non-profit organization.
“Houston is undoubtedly my showcase city. I saved all my best buildings for Houston.”
To read more about the rich history of Montrose itself, please peruse this Wikipedia entry for tons of great info. An excerpt: "Montrose is a primarily residential neighborhood located in Houston, Texas, USA. Established in 1911, the neighborhood is a demographically diverse area with renovated mansions, bungalows with wide porches, and cottages located along tree-lined boulevards. Montrose is a major cultural hub."
Over the Years
We are lucky to have Argo Georgandis, our Historian, living in our neighborhood. She has family roots in Winlow Place dating back decades, as illustrated by the collection of her photo documentation below. These images tell both a story of time and place, but also a story of strength, perseverance and preservation of our beautiful inner-loop neighborhood over the years.
Above: 1824 Marshall – Then (early 1950s) and Now (2014).
To begin, it is telling to look at the above photographs of 1824 Marshall then – and now. As many of the homes in Winlow Place, to this day 1824 Marshall stands proudly, well-maintained and still showcases details dating back to original construction, such as the brick detail on the façade. Built in 1935, the home would be only about 18 years old at the time of the photograph on the left. The modern (2014) photograph on the right is almost a mirror image of the original, with exception of improved color/digital photography!
Left: 1828 Marshall as an empty lot with 1824 Marshall in the background.
Center: 1828 Marshall as an empty lot with 1819 and 1821 Marshall in the background.
Right: 4-plex built in the 1950s on the 1828 Marshall lot by Dick George, still standing today.
Above: Another Winlow Place Dick George project – 1823 Kipling.
Those who live in Winlow Place know that to the left of 1824 Marshall now stands a 4-plex. See the "then and now" photos above. Argo has shared details of how this was actually an empty lot for quite some time, as late as the early 1950s. The 4-plex was originally built by Dick George who constructed 1823 Kipling in the early 1950s as well (shown to the right). 1823 Kipling is documented as being built in 1952. Dick George went on to build several large complexes on "Mid-Lane" Street between Westheimer and San Felipe as well as other parts of Houston in the 50s and 60s.
A Drive Down Memory Lane:
In addition to color photography, it's safe to say that our automobiles have changed significantly since the beginnings of our neighborhood. Just check out this Buick! Not quite the same type of car you'd see on the roads with today's hybrid and electric cars! Who would have thought...
Below are a few more "then and now" photos. First, one of Argo's grandfather, Marvolis Damiris, taken in 1957 with 1825 Marshall in the background. The architectural details of 1825 Marshall are largely the same to this day thanks so the diligence of its owners – a few modifications to the front with a lovely stained glass window on the center second floor and updated front door, but notice how a large number of the home's original details still remain.
Above: 1950s Buick.
Above: 1825 Marshall – Then (1957) and Now (2014).
As you know, Houston is not one for winter wonderlands, but just for the record, there was a full-on snow day in 1959 – just look at Argo and Simos Georgandis in a snow-covered front yard!
Many thanks to Argo for sharing these family photos to document a piece of Winlow Place history. We are dedicated, as a neighborhood, to ensure that there are many, many more decades ahead.
Above: 1959 Snow Day!