Classic victorian to be replaced with...'victorian classic?'

The Doyle House was built in 1906 by William A. Wilson, an important person in the early growth of the Heights and who was the developer of Woodland Heights and Eastwood. The house is located at the southwest corner of Heights Blvd. and 10th St., and was recently acquired by local builder Harry James who has been constructing and rehabbing homes in inner Houston, with a recent concentration in the Heights.

James plans on demolishing the house soon - permits are in place, and he told KHOU that the Doyle house is beyond restoration, and that the new house will be part of the "future history of the Heights." The design of these new Heights homes are what he calls "Victorian Classics." James built the house located at 442 Heights Blvd. which sold for $1.2 million with the tag line "Attorneys...Why pay High Rent on your Lease? Live and Office in this Awesome Home on Heights Boulevard!"

According to David Bush of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, Harry James would consider selling the property to an interested buyer for around $800 - 900,000, which is way more than the property and house are worth (the 2007 appraisal is about $290,000). Also, the Doyle estate and a salvage company have removed leaded fixtures, windows, and other ornamental pieces from the house, but those taken by the salvage company could be retrieved.

The Doyle house has about 3,000 square feet of space on a lot of about 12,000 square feet, and has colonial revival detailing, decorative windows, and a wraparound porch. The Doyle estate, which had been in charge of the house since Agnes Doyle's death in 2004, has not maintained the house or land. The front of the house is invisible from Heights Blvd. due to a couple of large trees and overgrown foliage, and the interior has seen its share of weather and vagrants. Even though Harry James said he could not save the house, we have seen good things done with much worse.