What is now the First Montrose Commons Historic District includes two historic neighborhoods platted on what was then Houston’s southwestern edge: the Lockhart, Connor & Barziza Addition (1873) and the Bute Addition (1907). Construction in the area began in earnest after the adjacent Montrose Place neighborhood opened in 1911. Today, the streets of First Montrose Commons are lined with an eclectic mix of large and small homes and apartment buildings designed in a variety of 20th-century styles.
Our new 90-minute docent-guided tour will explore the area’s history, the architecture of its homes and buildings, and the story of how First Montrose Commons weathered challenges ranging from postwar decline to wholesale demolition that made way for construction of the Spur 527 freeway. Along the way, we’ll see the work of prolific homebuilders Russell Brown and E.L. Crain and discuss how the area changed when the Lockhart, Connor & Barziza Addition became a part of Montrose, the largest suburban residential development in early 20th-century Houston.
This is an exterior architecture tour only. The tour will not go inside any buildings. There are no public restrooms along the tour route.
Admission is $10 per person for the general public ($7 for Preservation Houston members and students.) Children 11 years old and under are admitted free.
Advance ticket purchase is required. Reservations are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We are not able to accommodate walk-ups the day of the tour. There are no refunds for tour reservations.
Registrants will receive parking and check-in information via e-mail.
Face masks are optional for all fully vaccinated individuals, including docents. We ask that tourgoers who are not fully vaccinated remain masked at all times during the tour, including at check in.
In the event of inclement weather that prevents the tour from being offered as planned, we will notify registrants as far in advance as possible about their options to attend a rescheduled tour or transfer their reservations to another Preservation Houston tour.