Be inspired by the works of visionary owners when five award-winning historic preservation projects welcome visitors during Preservation Houston’s 2017 Good Brick Tour. Landmark properties in the First and Sixth wards along with privately owned homes and buildings in the East End and Midtown will be open for guided tours from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30. Advance tickets may be purchased online for $25 per person through Thursday, April 27.

The Dentler Building, 1809 Summer Street in the High First Ward Historic District, was constructed in 1923 as the office and residence of condiments manufacturer George H. Dentler, whose potato chip factory once stood at the rear of the property. New owners saved the termite-ridden building from collapse and renovated the historic structure as the comfortable home of a modern family.

The traditional Folk Victorian house at 2219 Kane Street in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District was moved and restored after years of use as a storage building. Inventive design elements and unique built-ins allow the cottage to serve as both an architect’s office and a guest house.

This year’s other tour locations are:

• Fire Station No. 2, 317 Sampson Street, which protected the East End beginning in 1910. The historic fire house has been adapted as an urban retreat with its historic character intact.
• 309 Sampson Street (East End), a traditional Queen Anne-style house showcasing original Victorian ornamentation and contemporary works by Houston artists.
• Isabella Court, 1005 Isabella at Main (Midtown), the lone survivor from Main Street’s 1920s Mediterranean era. The semi-tropical interior courtyard and three apartments will be open to tour-goers.

Preservation Houston has recognized each of the restored homes and buildings on tour with Good Brick Awards for excellence in historic preservation.

Tickets
Online advance tickets are $25 per person through midnight Thursday, April 27. Tickets will be available for $30 per person at all tour locations during the tour weekend. Tickets provide one admission to each of the historic homes and buildings on the tour. Tickets are valid both days of the tour; you may visit the tour locations in any order you choose.

Volunteers needed
Volunteer for the Good Brick Tour and receive a free ticket that provides admission to all five tour locations. Tour volunteers are asked to work at least one three-hour shift during the tour weekend. Shifts run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30.

Special thanks to our Good Brick Tour sponsors, event co-chairs, Kate McCormick and Peggy Hull, and the Good Brick Award recipients who have rehabilitated their properties to high standards and allowed Preservation Houston to share these historic homes and buildings with visitors.

Photos: The Dentler Building (top), 2219 Kane Street