J. Vance Lewis House Museum - 1218 Wilson Street

J. Vance Lewis and Pauline Gray Lewis Home – 1218 Wilson Street

This elegant home built in 1907, by a prominent Black contractor and nicknamed “Van Court,” once belonged to attorney J. Vance Lewis. He was born in 1868 on a sugar plantation in Louisiana where he received an early education. He later attended colleges in the Midwest where he earned his law degrees and rose to prominence as an accomplished civil and criminal attorney. He moved to Houston around 1901 and was one of the first attorneys to move to Freedmen’s Town. In 1902, Lewis married Pauline Gray, an educator, and librarian, at Antioch Baptist Church in Freedmen’s Town. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1904. Lewis, who was known for his eloquent and sometimes fiery speeches traveled across the county advocating equal rights for Blacks. In 1920, he relocated his office to Van Court. Lewis died on April 24, 1925 and is buried in historic Olivewood Cemetery.

The J. Vance Lewis home was purchased by the R.B. H. Yates Museum in February, 2007.  The home has the following historic designations: City of Houston Protected Landmark, Official State of Texas Historical marker and National Register of Historic Places. The museum is actively seeking funds to underwrite Van Court’s restoration to its previous state of opulence, refinement and grandeur. This home will become a home museum of law and education in honor of attorney Lewis. Schedule a tour to learn more about J. Vance Lewis, his wife Pauline and their philanthropic efforts to advance the mobility of Black Houstonians.