Building watch: 9602 Moonlight Drive

9602 Moonlight Drive, located in Meyerland at the intersection of Braesheather Drive, is one of our all time favorite mid-century homes in Houston. It was designed and built by Robert Cohen in 1964, and he and his wife lived in the home until 2004 when it was sold to John M. O'Quinn - yes that O'Quinn. From the smell of it, O'Quinn (who lives in River Oaks) let the house sit for three years and apparently has sold to someone who intends to demolish it. The house has over 4,200 square feet of space and sits on a 20,500 square foot corner lot.

We can't come up with much that rivals this unique mid-century design, (okay, the classy Carrousel Motel at Gulfgate - but hey, it's gone, too), but even if it isn't exactly your cup of tea, it does stand out as one of Houston's most unique homes. The 1999 Houston Architectural Guide (pg. 283) notes, "This is a quite extraordinary production, a circular, steel-framed pavilion, capped with a folded plate roof, which is only part of a much larger contemporary style house."

While there is rumor (and smell) that the interior has suffered some water damage, the grounds have been pristinely kept up, as well as the boomerang-esque pool. O'Quinn picked up the property for a little over $500,000, and the 2007 appraisal still values the house at 35% of the total ($182,286) which is not on par for teardowns.

So take a stroll down Moonlight Drive and check out the house while you can - and there are many other interesting mid-century homes in the neighborhood as well. If you would like to voice concern about the house, you can contact Randy Pace, the City of Houston's Preservation Officer (randy.pace@cityofhouston.net), and John O'Quinn.

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