This historic mansion on 3303 E. NASA Parkway was designed by Joseph Finger and built for publisher and oilman James Marion West in 1929. His son, "Silver Dollar" Jim West, Jr., was known for his offbeat way of tipping (well) with silver dollars. This mansion is an important piece of architecture because it is the only remaining intact residence of the West family, and it is a rare example of a "great 1920s country estate" by Finger.
The mansion was recently sold to Hakeem Olajuwon, (who lives in Jordan these days) and we speculate he may stick to what he has been known for as far as development - chain stores. The Chronicle reports that
Olajuwon, who bought the property for an undisclosed price, is planning to sell it to developers, who could build high-rise residential buildings, retail centers or medical facilities there. ... It is expected that the property will be divided and sold in parcels, similar to what he did with land he acquired at Kirby and the Southwest Freeway, according to Cook. What was once the Westheimer Transfer & Storage facility is now a CVS and Chick-fil-A.
The area adjacent to the West property is now the site of higher-end townhomes.
According to the National Register information, the property, which sat vacant for many years after James Marion West passed away, was in disrepair, but was acquired by Rice University (Institute, at that time) and used it for the Lunar and Planetary Institute. In 1978, Rice completed work on the property that included "replicating missing tiles and iron work, restoring paneling and stenciling, and correcting structural problems. The garage and barns were aclapted for office space. The gardens were maintained as originally designed." In 1991, the LPI vacated, and it has been empty ever since.
The Harris County Appraisal District lists the market value of the house at $3,008,410, but we have a feeling it might have gone for a little more than that (it also lists the land area at 1,794,645 square feet, and the total building area -mostly as "low-rise office buildings," at 28,245 square feet).
more information:
-West Mansion National Register listing
-West Mansion Historical Marker information
-Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
-National Trust for Historic Preservation
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