Norhill, Houston

Norhill, Houston is an historic neighborhood in northwest-central Houston, TX (USA). It is adjacent to the more widely known Houston Heights neighborhood as well as Woodland Heights. Norhill is distinguished by its prevalence of bungalows and the green spaces known as esplanades.

Developed in 1920 by William C. Hogg, Norhill is divided into Norhill, North Norhill, and East Norhill. The pastureland on which the neighborhood was built was originally owned by Henry Stude who purchased the land in 1873. Following Stude’s passing in 1905, his widow and children traded the land for stock in the Stude Holding Association which voted shortly thereafter to subdivide the land. By 1920, the Association had teamed with Hogg and changed their name to Varner Realty Company. The name Varner is reported to have come from “Varner Plantation”, the retirement home of Hogg’s father James Stephen Hogg, former Texas Governor. William C. Hogg was both Chairman of the City Planning Commission and a wealthy investor. He played an important role influencing the growth of Houston during the 1920s.

Norhill was developed first in 1920 with 388 lots bordered by Studewood, Usener, Michaux,and Pecore Streets. North Norhill was developed next in May 1923 with 555 lots in an area bordered by Studewood, North Main, Michaux, and Pecore Streets. East Norhill was developed in June 1924 with 292 lots bordered by Michaux, Fugate, Moss, and Key Streets. Accessible by both streetcar and auto, Norhill grew with residents at a time when the population in Houston was booming and quality housing was in demand for working-class citizens.

Bungalows in Norhill were commonly built from commercially available plans sold through catalogs such as Ladies' Home Journal or Sears Roebuck and Co. and could be easily constructed on 50 by 100 foot lots. With rooms that open up to each other and covered porches that provide an outdoor living space, the bungalow was an ideal home for Houston’s often warm and humid climate. As was popular during this time, Norhill homes were often built from a kit shipped directly to the lot containing all of the building materials needed for a particular design.

Today, Norhill remains a “concentrated intact collection of houses built in various bungalow styles, many of which feature low-pitched roofs, simple designs, and trademark porches anchored by brick pillars and tapered wood columns." Represented bungalow styles include Colonial, Spanish, Hipped, English and Craftsman. Whereas the neighboring Houston Heights has many historic homes with Victorian flourishes, Norhill bungalows are generally distinguished by cleaner lines with minimal ornamentation.

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