John S. Hale House

John S. Hale House. 917 Pinckney St. Most of the Near Northside neighborhood's original houses were built between 1890 and 1920 by working class residents who worked in the nearby Southern Pacific Railyard and repair shops. Simple Folk Victorian, single-story, gable-front and-wing houses adorned with Victorian millwork were the dominant style in the neighborhood., The first documented (1892-1893 Houston City Directory) resident of 917 Pinckney was John A. Hale, a carpenter for Southern Pacific. It is unknown if Mr. Hale used his carpentry skills to construct the house. In 1894-1895, the house was occupied by James B. Marmion, a blacksmith, and his wife. Marmion would become in 1914 the last Mayor of the independent City of Houston Heights. James J. Lyles, a real estate dealer, lived in the house with his wife and children from 1895 to 1900. From 1900 until the 1950s, the property housed a series of working-class families including a cabinetmaker, carpenter, switchman and piano repairman. The Gutierrez family owned the house for nearly 60 years (Lino Gutierrez in 1954, followed by John Gutierrez in 1984). Ronald David Powell purchased the house in 2012 and began the process of restoring it to its original condition.