Preservation Houston members are invited to a special open house Tuesday evening, June 17, at the Trone-Howe House, a Southern Colonial-style residence designed by Birdsall P. Briscoe in 1959. This was the final home Briscoe designed before retiring, and it reflects both the architect’s refined sensibility and his deep ties to Houston’s cultural and architectural legacy.
Dorothy Trone Howe commissioned the house as a tribute to her family’s distinguished heritage — including that of her late husband Knox Briscoe Howe, a descendant of John Richardson Harris, the namesake of Harris County. Birdsall Briscoe based the design on the 1836 Harris family home in Harrisburg, where he himself had been born, creating a modern interpretation with monumental scale and classical form.
The Trone-Howe House’s craftsmanship remains remarkably intact, from the two-story colonnades of square wood piers to bespoke millwork and details like a wishbone-patterned transom above the paneled front door. Inside, nearly 11-foot ceilings, wide reception halls and generously proportioned rooms speak to the home’s grandeur — with original touches including chevron-patterned floors, marble fireplaces and heavy brass hardware. A previous owner, Dorothy Knox Howe Houghton, had the home designated a City of Houston protected landmark in 2019.
Architectural historian Stephen Fox will speak at about 5:30 p.m., offering insight into Briscoe’s legacy and the significance of the Trone-Howe House. Copies of Fox’s 2022 book The Architecture of Birdsall P. Briscoe will be available for purchase for $85, with proceeds benefiting PH.
This event is free and open to Preservation Houston members. If you are not a PH member, please join before registering.
RSVP by June 16 to let us know you plan to attend.
Thanks to Kirsten Abney of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene for inviting PH members to this special open house.