Kellum-Noble House
historic place
The Kellum-Noble House stands in Houston, Harris County, Texas. This historic place was built in 1847 by Nathaniel Kellum. He constructed the house using bricks made from mud sourced from nearby Buffalo Bayou. After Kellum sold the property in 1849, the Noble family resided here. Zerviah Noble and her daughter Catherine operated one of Houston's earliest schools within the house from 1851 into the 1870s. In 1899, the City of Houston acquired the house as part of its first municipal park, Sam Houston Park. The house served as a park keeper's residence and, for a time, its grounds hosted Houston's first zoo. By the early 1950s, the house had fallen into disrepair. The Heritage Society was formed in 1954 to preserve and restore it. The Kellum-Noble House was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The house is significant as the oldest surviving building in Houston that remains on its original foundation.