Iconic 'Darth Vader House' Sells

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Iconic 'Darth Vader House' Sells

IT TOOK OVER the internet when it first listed, and now, West U's iconic "Darth Vader House" has a new owner.


The mansion at 3201 University Blvd. is an icon familiar not only to Houstonians, but to Star Wars fans around the globe. Nicknamed such for its resemblance to the villain's helmet, it hit the market in May for $4.3 million, causing quite a stir on the interwebs, seeing as the previous owner famously turned down interviews and photo ops.

Real estate aficionados and movie buffs alike enjoyed flipping through the image gallery, which revealed a counterintuitively light, open interior. A sunken portion of the living room makes a unique seating area, surrounded by curiously patterned concrete and stone flooring; other oddly shaped areas are found throughout the home, which has a distinctly '80s, yet surprisingly fresh, vibe.

Last listed for $3.1 million by Wade Knight and Nadia Carron of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty, the property officially sold this week. Time will tell what the new homeowners choose to keep and forego.

A detail of 'Cycle' (Photos courtesy Barbara Davis Gallery)

NEWS OF RECENT commissions by Houston artist Paul Fleming led us to several photos of his eye-catching, large-scale wall installations, many of which are installed in the sunlit interiors of some of the city’s most beautiful homes and apartment communities, including the resident lounge of The Southmore, located just a few blocks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

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Art + Entertainment

Installation view of 'THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show' at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2023. (Photo by Sean Fleming)

IN THE SUMMER of 1865, less than two months after the end of the Civil War, thousands of former slaves, or “freedpeople,” from the Texas countryside and every state in the former Confederacy made the pilgrimage via the San Felipe Trail to Houston’s Fourth Ward and established Freedman’s Town — a neighborhood for families determined to build and establish a thriving community as the country entered the Reconstruction era. Nearby cypress trees provided wood to construct family homes and handcrafted bricks were used to create the neighborhood’s streets. In June 2021, the Houston City Council voted to make Freedmen’s Town the city’s first official Heritage District, which allows nonprofits to help fund the restoration and care of the community’s historic structures, including those brick streets.

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