2021 Houston Heights Holiday Home Tour

We’ll be bringing holiday cheer to the Heights once again with our 2021 Holiday Home Tour on Friday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 4th.

This year’s Holiday Home Tour will be a tour of each home’s outdoor Winter Wonderland and has been revamped to include two options:

1. Walking Guided Tour & Eureka Heights Tasting (Friday, December 3rd, starting at 5:30 PM)
   • This year’s home tour will be led by an HHA Volunteer or Officer and will begin at Marmion Park where you will be welcomed, provided hot chocolate (from Star Sailor), and greeted with a kick-off party with music by The Wonderfolk. The tour will last approximately 1 hour where the guide will walk you along the streets of the Heights and stop at each home to provide you history as well as some fun facts about the home. There will also be samplings from Eureka Heights at various stops on the tour! A digital brochure will be available for download to follow along! There are a limited number of Walking Guided Tour tickets available so grab them fast! UPDATE (12/2/21 at 11:00 AM): Walking Guided Tour tickets have SOLD OUT! We are currently working to remove the item from our shop, but since we have reached our max capacity for this event, we will not be able to honor any tickets purchased after 11:00 AM on December 2nd, 2021. We will however be offering full refunds for any Walking Guided Tour tickets purchased after this time.
   • There will also be Photos with Santa, hosted by NAN Properties! They will have a photo booth and Holiday treats for all visitors!
     • Santa will only be available from 5:30-6:30 PM (for humans or pups), so please come early!! Photos with Santa are available for an additional donation of $5 or more to the HHA.
2. Self-Guided Tour (anytime on Friday, December 3rd or Saturday, December 4th)
   • This self-guided version of the tour will be followed by downloading a digital brochure provided by the HHA. By donating as little as $5, you can take part in this version of the tour! Make a donation and get your Self-Guided Tour ticket here.

Thank you Star Sailor, The Wonderfolk, Eureka Heights, and NAN Properties for bringing extra fun to the Walking Guided Tour!

Tickets for both versions of the tour will be available through Thursday, December 2nd.

UPDATE: Walking Guided Tour tickets have SOLD OUT!

Self-Guided Tour Tickets

Featured Homes

1648 Harvard – The Pumpkin House

The Pumpkin House, which is proudly owned by Amydell and Bill Beardshall, completed construction in 1991 and was designed and built by Steve Watters of Sterling Victorian Builders fame as a “Northern” counterpart of the late Bart Truxillo home next door. Legend has it that the Pumpkin House was designed to be the first new construction during the Heights revival of the early 90s to be listed for more than three hundred thousand dollars in the Heights.

1637 Cortlandt

The original 1916, 1,100 sq ft craftsman-style bungalow was purchased in 2019 by its fourth family, Kara Gostenhofer and Siobhan Galbraith. They are the proud owners of the recently renovated 105-year-old home, which now boasts 3,100 sq ft. Throughout the bungalow’s renovation and expansion, the couple took steps to preserve the charm and character of the original house while seamlessly incorporating modern design elements. The project was completed in August 2021, transforming the bungalow to a 4 bed, 3 bath home with additional living space for their family and plenty of room for hosting and entertaining.

1635 Cortlandt

This 1910 renovated and expanded Queen Anne style home features an asymmetrical facade with porch, bay window with decorative divided lites, and front-facing gables. Inside, it retains 10-foot ceilings, preserved pine floors, and a screened porch living area overlooking the backyard. The homeowners, Ellen and Bill Morris, decorate for the holidays with natural winter greenery, flowers, lights, and collected family pieces.

1630 Cortlandt

This 1912 bungalow was thoughtfully renovated with a major addition in 2013 by Frich Investments. The builder maintained the authentic craftsman style and charm of the original bungalow while adding modern conveniences throughout. Kevin and Lisa Pilkington have been the proud owners of “The Greenhouse” since 2016.

1638 Cortlandt

The home at 1638 Cortlandt was built in 1918 as a traditional 2-1 bungalow to house working-class families, most of whom were employed by the local railroads. Even with a renovation and addition to the back of the home in 1997, the original character has been lovingly preserved and honored. With the establishment of the Houston Heights East Historic District in 2008, the home was designated as a “contributing structure” and the owner since 2009, Maureen Weyel, takes great pride in protecting that recognition.

1820 Arlington

1820 Arlington is a Victorian Hybrid that was originally built in 1910. It was later reconfigured and renovated in the 1970s. Katie and Mike Beirne purchased the home in 2011 with the intent to restore some of the original layout including the high ceilings and original center hall. Laura Michelides at Four Square Design Studio was the principal designer for the renovation and addition. Don Broman with Broman Design and Construction was the General Contractor. The original renovation gained the home a total of 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms while also expanding the square footage to 2,400 square feet of living space. In 2018, another addition to the home was done by Four Square Design Studio and Quickwood Construction to add an expansive living room, mud room, half bath, and pool.

The Beirnes’ Christmas decoration style is “light up Arlington!” They like to blind their neighbors with all the lights and blow-up decorations one can muster! Mike is meticulous about his light placement, much like the famed Clark Griswold. Let’s hope these lights work, Clark!

Thank you to all the homeowners who have made their homes available for this year’s tour!

Home Tour Schedule

Friday, December 3^rd

5:30 PM – Meet at Marmion Park for hot chocolate hosted by Star Sailor and kick-off party & music by The Wonderfolk

6:00 PM – Guided Home Tour & Eureka Heights Tasting begins

Saturday, December 4th

Anytime – Self-guided

Ticket Information

Tickets for both versions of the tour will be available through Thursday, December 2nd.

Walking Guided Tour & Eureka Heights Tasting: $10 – which includes access to the digital brochure, hot chocolate & Eureka Heights samples

• UPDATE: Walking Guided Tour tickets have SOLD OUT!

Self-Guided Tour: Make a donation of $5 or more!

The HHA is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and proceeds from the Holiday Home Tour go directly into the community for beautification, restoration, maintenance, and education.

We look forward to seeing everyone’s EXTRA festive home since 2020’s tour was cancelled. For any additional info – please email: holidaytour@houstonheights.org

A special thank you to Holiday Home Tour chair Kinzie Verdell and her committee for putting together this wonderful Winter Wonderland Home Tour!