HOUSTON – Known both as Legend and as the Trone-Howe House, this storied estate at 4019 Inverness Road boasts a significant status: It’s a protected Houston Landmark. The River Oaks residence was the last home built by revered Houston architect Birdsall Briscoe, who worked extensively in the Houston neighborhoods of Courtlandt Place, Shadyside, Broadacres, and River Oaks in the mid-twentieth-century. Legend was Briscoe’s last commission before he retired.
Nestled in the Tall Timbers section of River Oaks, the historical home evokes the refinement of an era long since passed. At this property, a two-story, 5,900 square foot house and an attached two-story 1,040 square foot garage and apartment sit on a forested lot. The main home offers 4 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms brimming with elegant details.
Outside, towering colonnades of square wood piers rise the full height of this Southern Colonial style country home to support a broad, flat-roofed portico. The columns and portico terrace give this home its monumental scale.
A black slate and marble-paved porch ascends into a paneled front door set into a deep recess. Inside, a polished reception halls features finger-block hardwood floors, a ceiling soaring to nearly 11 feet and a grand serpentine staircase. The foyer opens into a formal powder room, breakfast room and the library.
Located at the far end of the reception hall near the grand staircase, the pecan-paneled library boasts more than books: an exquisite fireplace lined with the flame-colored Numidian marble used in the construction of Rockefeller Center in New York features prominently in this space. For an exquisite example of detailed millwork, look to the Texas star incised above the library door or the bas-relief pineapples recessed in the pecan paneling.
Pullman-style pocket doors in the library open into the living room, a double salon with a chevron-pattern hardwood floor, a marble fireplace and an air of undeniable elegance.
The expansive dining room, which features herringbone hardwood floors, a fireplace and a stunning shell bonnett cupboard, projects inviting grace and intimacy.
Bedrooms throughout this home include an en suite bathroom and overflow with amenities like dressing rooms and fireplaces.
A breezeway connects the kitchen to the 4-car garage and apartment, comprising three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette.
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