| Architect: | David George Brooks of Brooks & Brooks | |
| Year Built: | 1959 | |
| Original Owner: | Murray and Arlyn Getz | |
| Notable Past Residents: | Murray Getz, photographer and past president of the Texas Professional Photographers Association. Getz worked primarily in the commercial photography space and his work appeared in publications such as Professional Builder. Getz also produced a local TV show called "So You Know Houston". Murray's wife, Arlyn, was a professional flamenco dancer who toured nationally and also ran a Houston ballet school. | |
| Publication: | N/A | |
| Comments: | Getz and his wife built this house as their first home after one year of married life. They had David Brooks of
Brooks & Brooks design the home as he was a longtime friend of Getz. Brooks & Brooks designed
several modernist buildings in the Houston area. Two of their buildings, including Harold's in the
Heights, are listed in the Houston Architectural Guide.
This home was the first built in one of the "newer" sections of Memorial Bend. After walking through brush and tall grass near the bayou to view some lots, Murray's wife, Arlyn, pointed to a lot overlooking a bend in the bayou and said that it was their lot. They used a sickle to clear out a small patch of grass for a picnic on the site where the home would eventually be built. At the time, the area was still somewhat in the country and Getz still recalls finding arrowhead shavings on his front yard shortly after moving in. The Getz family lived in the home for five years before having to relocate. The current owner of the home still possesses the original blueprints. |
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| Architectural Comments: | This interesting flat-roofed house includes countless original
features that make it a unique find. The house was even feautred in a home tour in the early 1960s designed to showcase some of
the more interesting homes in the Houston area.
The kitchen area includes a built-in blender, original hardware on the walnut cabinets and a concealed pantry with piano hinges. The original stove, no longer in the home, was a pull-out Tappan that could be hidden when not in use. The living area features a fold-down wet bar and speakers built into the original walnut paneled wall. Terrazo flooring is found throughout the living areas and other portions of the house. The kingsize brick and interior surround clerestory windows and floor to ceiling windows that overlook the ravine lot. The home also features the original plank ceiling and a large fireplace hearth. The master bath includes a sunken bathtub flanked by a built-in planter adjacent to a large plate glass window. Other rooms in the house take advantage of floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors. The original owner, Murray Getz, was a photographer who also asked Brooks to design a darkroom for his home. The immense magnolia in front of the home was planted by the Getz family shortly after moving in. |
