A historic Houston mansion built in 1911 for a grocery magnate’s son is on the market for nearly $4 million.
The Cleveland House, located at 8 Courtlandt Place near Houston’s Montrose, was built for Alexander Sessumms “Sess” Cleveland and his wife Virginia in 1911, according to the Compass listing. Sess was the son of Houston merchant, cotton broker and civic leader William Davis Cleveland, who led what became Texas’ largest wholesale grocery company.
The nearly 5,700-square-foot property was designed by Sanguinet & Staats, one of Texas’ most prominent architectural firms in the early 20th century. The home was redesigned in the 1920s by John F. Staub, a leading Houston architect known for designing luxury homes in River Oaks and other affluent neighborhoods.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home sits in Houston’s historic Courtlandt Place, a gated one-block-long street near the intersection of Westheimer Road and Bagby Street. Dating back 115 years, it features original hardwood and parquet flooring, plaster walls, period windows and millwork.
“Gracious entertaining spaces include a striking paneled living room with rare black marble detailing, a formal dining room with a Texas limestone hearth, and a richly appointed library,” according to the listing. “The renovated kitchen and butler’s pantry feature quartzite countertops, custom cabinetry, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and generous prep space.”
The property also houses a basement, a four-car garage, a garage apartment, an original service staircase, custom closets, a screened-in porch, expansive gardens and an outdoor entertainment area with a fireplace.
The property was last sold in 2015 after listing for $2.35 million.
The Cleveland House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The property remained in the Cleveland family in 1971 and became a Texas Historic Landmark in 1999.
“His father, William Davis Cleveland, was one of the most prominent Houstonians to this day, as a proprietor of a major wholesale grocery company,” the application reads. “His mother, nee Justina (Tina) Lataham, was the Paris-educated daughter of Capt. Lodowic Justin Latham, owner of Houston’s largest furniture store, founded in the 1840s.”
In 1898, William brought his sons into the grocery firm and renamed it W. D. Cleveland and Sons. It was Texas’ largest wholesale grocery company until March 1930, when it closed as the Great Depression set in.