1558 Kirby Drive - Greenwood King Properties

1558 Kirby Drive

House

Set behind private gates and a sweeping circular driveway within a handsome garden, 1558 Kirby Drive is a classic English manor house overlooking more than a half-acre of mature landscape with expansive terraces, swimming pool and even a delightful playhouse for the kids (or grandkids). It is an exceptional example of early River Oaks design and demonstrates the aspiration to put craftsmanship on show, display the quality of functional design and materials and showcase the abilities of those involved in its construction. It has had just two owners.

Clad in white-washed red brick with a roof of wallaba wood shingles, the house was completed in 1934 for Houston oil speculator H.J. Porter and his wife. Porter has been credited by many political specialists with playing a major role in securing Dwight Eisenhower’s Republican presidential nomination in 1952. Before that, however, in 1933, Porter and fellow wildcatter Glenn McCarthy were the organizers of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association. Porter served as TIPRO’s first president.

Clearly intended to impress, the home’s first floor has been thoughtfully designed to provide useful and beautiful rooms, including the recently remodeled kitchen, breakfast room and family room, cypress-paneled study with wet bar, formals, sunroom and even a delicious little music room with velvet-covered walls. All the principal bedrooms are located on the second floor, along with two extra rooms (one has a homework station) and have views out to the front or rear garden. There is a good-size cellar with plenty of storage and a nanny apartment over the three-car garage.

This exquisitely maintained home will accommodate a large family comfortably. The kitchen has been conceived for the serious cook, with high-end appliances (see details on the inside back cover), SieMatic cabinetry and practical black soapstone counters. The house has abundant windows and French doors opening onto the rear garden and pool.

If Houston has the equivalent of LA’s Mulholland Drive, it is Kirby Drive in River Oaks. The street is lined with dozens of the most beautiful homes in the city, many behind gates and exquisite gardens. The offering of 1558 Kirby Drive is a rare opportunity to acquire a slice of Houston history and a home you will be proud to pass along to your heirs.

Architecture

Hermon Lloyd, a 1931 Rice graduate, teamed up with Harvin Moore, another undergraduate in the Rice architecture program, to originally design party decorations and sets. The two worked well together, and in 1934, they formed the architectural firm of Moore & Lloyd. The reputation of the firm rested largely on their work in River Oaks. During their partnership, Moore & Lloyd designed more than 84 homes in River Oaks, including 1558 Kirby Drive. By the end of the 1930s, Moore and Lloyd began to move in different directions and, by the entry of the country into World War II, the firm had dissolved. The extensive catalogue of Moore & Lloyd works, collected by Michael Wilson, is held at the Houston Public Library.

Custom built in 1934 by Newt Benson from Moore & Lloyd’s plans, 1558 Kirby Drive is said to have been the first house in River Oaks to have had air conditioning. Since its purchase by the current owners in the early 1990s, additional architectural work and updating by Jon Gilbreath, Joe Shaffer, Don B. McDonald and Kristen Weber have ensured that the home is utterly comfortable for 21st-century living, even while retaining its classic timelessness.

The home’s original landscape design was by Ralph Ellis Gunn, a 1930 graduate of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and one of the first practicing landscape architects in Texas. His other major projects included the Shamrock Hotel and, in 1952, Harris Masterson III’s home, Rienzi, now part of Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts. The landscape has since been redesigned and updated by Lanson B. Jones and Grove Hill Farm of Chappell Hill.

Neighborhood

Founded by brothers Will and Mike Hogg and attorney Hugh Potter in the 1920s, today River Oaks is Houston’s premier residential neighborhood, located conveniently close to the central business district and to the city’s main retail, arts and medical areas. It was the founders’ wish that River Oaks would demonstrate the highest standards of modern community planning, a model for the rest of Houston to follow. Since its creation, River Oaks has been published in national news, real estate and design media and been the focus of scholarly analysis in recognition of its contributions to the 20th-century American elite community development. Property values have been protected and enhanced by strong deed restrictions, subdivision governance and architectural preservation. The subdivision, home to the River Oaks Country Club and numerous pocket parks, is patrolled by a 24-hour proprietary security service.

Study

Music room

Sunroom

Dining room

Living room

Family room

Family room detail

First-floor hallway

Breakfast room

Formal staircase Powder room

Breakfast room

Butler’s pantry

Primary bedroom bath

Secondary bedroom Game room/homework station

Secondary bedroom Secondary bedroom

Terrace

Jungle gym & terrace

Garage

Features

Built nearly 90 years ago in the traditional English manor style, 1558 Kirby looks and feels ageless. Clad with its whitewashed red brick and located on an exceptional landscaped lot of more than 25,000 SF, this is one of River Oaks’ most elegant homes. Features include four bedrooms (all up), sunroom, music room, study, formals, updated kitchen, breakfast room, family room, basement, full quarters, pool and much more.

Kitchen & Breakfast Room

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Sub-Zero 48-inch side-by-side refrigerator

 Wolf 48-inch four-burner dual-fuel range with double griddle and double ovens (new 2021) and Zephyr range hood (new 2021)

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Two (2) Sharp microwaves

 Bosch dishwasher with cabinetry front

 SieMatic custom-clad cabinetry interior system featuring German pull-outs, sliding drawers, swing-out corner cabinet storage, etc.

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Large apron-front cast iron sink, plus stainless-steel utility sink, with bridge faucet, plus two secondary swivel pull-out faucets

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Black soapstone countertops with hand-carved drainboards

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WOCA natural oil-finished hardwood floor

 Butler’s pantry with Thermador warming drawer, SieMatic silver storage cabinet and Sub-Zero under-counter refrigerator

 Custom built-in dog kennel under back stairs

Primary Suite

 Murano chandelier

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Large his and her walk-in closets with many built-ins (e.g. locking silvercloth-lined jewelry drawers, laundry sorting bins, pull-down hanging rods)

 Lockable gun/valuables closet with safe  Cedar closet

 Extra room adjacent to primary bedroom (currently used as her office)

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Jetted tub and separate shower with Barber Wilsons & Co. valves and Grohe shower head

 Two (2) large pedestal lavatories

 Polished nickel lavatory and bath hardware by THG Paris  Towel warmer

By the Numbers

Year built 1934 (per HCAD)

House 6,165 (per appraisal)

Lot 25 ,480 (per survey)

Kitchen 14 x 12

Breakfast room 13 x 12

Family room 22 x 1 6

Dining room 17 x 1 5

Living room 24 x 1 6

Music room 15 x 11

General Interior

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Three (3) fireplaces with gas valves Two (2) staircases

Fortuny drapes in living and dining room Fabric wall covers and Cole & Son wallpapers Hardwood floors Door hardware by Bouvet Custom millwork throughout Many vintage light fixtures Custom glue chip leaded glass doors

 Two (2) tankless water heaters (new 2020)

 HVAC with 10 zones  AMX control system with Lutron switches, 11 audio zones and 2 security cameras Basement with built-in storage

Exterior

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Wallaba wood shingle roof (new 2020) Steel casement windows (refurbished 2021) Copper gutters and downspouts tied to underground drains  Cedar shakes with copper trim (new 2021) Heated pool with flagstone coping and retaining wall  Poolside changing room with full bath  Poolside speakers (new 2022) Large terrace with ceiling fans and lighting (new 2022)  Irrigation system with 16 zones  Cedar privacy fence (new 2022) Tree lighting Double-wide circle driveway, electric driveway gates Detached three-car garage with quarters above Mature landscaping designed by Grove Hill Farm of Chappell Hill

Sunroom 24 x 1 0

Study/library 14 x 14

Primary bedroom 21 x 1 5

Extra room 13 x 9 Bedroom #2 16 x 14

Bedroom #3 16 x 1 5

Bedroom #4 15 x 1 5

Game room/homework station 15 x 13

Utility room 7 x 7

Garage apartment 36 x 1 9

Information such as measurements, square footage and descriptions of materials, fixtures, or other components of the improvements may not be accurate and should not be relied upon, but should be independently verified by Buyer prior to purchase. Photography by TK Images