Near Nassau Bay in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

West Mansion

1. West Mansion Marker

Inscription. Lumber, oil, and ranching tycoon James Marion West (1871-1941) and his wife, Jessie Dudley (1871-1953), hired eminent Houston architect Joseph Finger to design this 17,000-square foot house as headquarters for their 30,000-acre ranch. Built in 1929-30, it is an excellent example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. It features exceptional ironwork by Berger & Son, classical pediments and arched windows. Subsequent owners include Humble Oil and Rice University.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1993

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10803.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1993.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 29° 33.641′ N, 95° 4.48′ W. Marker was near Nassau Bay, Texas, in Harris County. Marker was on NASA Road 1 east of Space Center Boulevard. The marker may be in storage. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 3301 NASA Road 1, Houston TX 77058, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. Harris County Boys' School Archeological Site (approx. 0.6 miles away); Webster Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Apollo Mission Control Center

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(approx. 0.8 miles away); Little Joe II and BP-22: Safety First (approx. 1.2 miles away); Little Joe II (approx. 1.2 miles away); H-1 Engine: A Powerful Start (approx. 1.2 miles away); Mercury-Redstone: Putting the First Americans in Space (approx. 1.2 miles away); J-2 Engine: Versatile Sidekick (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nassau Bay.

Regarding West Mansion.
November 21, 2019
According to Preservation Texas, the 17,000-square-foot home was built in the late 1920s by lumber, oil and ranching tycoon James Marion West and his wife, Jessie Dudley. It was the focal point of their 30,000-acre ranch. The home was designated as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1993 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Those designations lapsed in 2014, according to Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner.

Statement by Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner:
“To my understanding, none of the owners came forward in the time since to have those designations or restrictions reinstated,” Wagner said Friday in a written statement. “Because of this and the other requirements

Front of Mansion image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, March 13, 2011

2. Front of Mansion

This is the front of the mansion -- it faces away from NASA Road 1, the highway that passes by it.

met, the City of Pasadena was bound by law to grant the demolition permit to current owner, Olajuwon Farms, LLC and the demotion company, Cherry Demolition. The state of Texas Constitution strongly protects the rights of property owners, and as much as we hate to see this piece of history razed, our hands were legally tied."

Also see . . .
1. Brief Bio of Jim West from The Handbook of Texas. (Submitted on December 7, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas.)
2. The West Mansion Texas Historical Commission Marker Program application (includes photos). (Submitted on November 26, 2019, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.)

Rear of West Mansion image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, December 3, 2011

3. Rear of West Mansion

This view of the rear of the mansion is from NASA Road 1.

Sadly, the grand West Mansion has been demolished image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jim Evans, November 26, 2019

4. Sadly, the grand West Mansion has been demolished

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 3, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,380 times since then and 64 times this year. Last updated on November 26, 2019, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on December 7, 2011. 2, 3. submitted on December 7, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 4. submitted on November 26, 2019, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A photo of the marker. • Can you help?