alk into a home built in the first half of the 20th century and typically you will find a series of connected rooms. You might walk through a bedroom to get to another part of the house, for example. Homes in that era were typically built to serve the simple need for shelter. The thought of entertaining in a home, for the most part, just didn't exist. In 1925, C.C. Rouse began to change the role of a typical house, in Houston, from shelter to a place for splendid entertainment.

It was near the end of the country's Great Depression when nothing was booming anywhere, with the exception of oil in Houston. The newly rich oilmen loved to entertain. Country clubs were booked solid with parties because they were the only place allowed to serve alcohol. Rouse was operating Rouse Lumber & Building Company on Montrose Street (now part of downtown Houston). He was confident in his idea for building a spec home in River Oaks, which introduced taking the party out of the country club and bringing it home to a 12,000 square foot mansion.

The idea of entertainment homes and luxury living caught on as quickly as
the first sale, and by the late 1930s Rouse was heavily involved in building up the impressive neighborhood of River Oaks. At that time, he was making more money than any builder in the country. Floor plans were designed so that 100 people at a time could gather and circulate in the home with ease. Bedrooms were separated from the main living areas for privacy. Kitchens were built to handle the preparation of major social events. Living rooms featured palatial detailing.

Rouse took his son-in-law, Tynes Sparks, under his wing to learn the business. Sparks joined the business in 1948, and then took it over in 1966 when Mr. Rouse retired. Sparks soon moved away from the building of spec homes and into doing contract/custom build jobs. Throughout the years, he has focused on continuing to build homes with the splendor that the company was known for.

The homes originally built by his father-in-law are still very much a part of Tynes Sparks Building Corporation today. The new owners of C.C. Rouse's early homes found comfort in being able to rely on the expertise of the original building company when the time came to add modern lighting and central air conditioning, or upgrade plumbing.

"I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH WORKING ON SOME HOUSE OR OTHER IN RIVER OAKS EVERY WORKING DAY FOR 55 YEARS NOW," SPARKS SAID.

Presently, some of the original homes in River Oaks are being renovated and expanded. Once again, this means more work for the original masters.

"YESTERDAY, 12,000 FEET WAS BIG. TODAY, UPPER END HOUSES ARE EVEN MORE ELABORATE AND LARGER. WE'VE BUILT HOMES UP TO 37,000 SQUARE FEET, AND WE'RE SEEING THE NEW OWNERS OF SOME OF THESE OLDER HOMES WANTING TO EXPAND THEM," SAID TYNES.

Tynes Sparks Building Corporation has recently restored two of the finest homes ever built in Houston: the Hugh Roy Cullen Mansion on River Oaks Blvd. and the fabulous Neal Chateaux on Lazy Lane. Both are works of Houston's famous architect John Staub. The Cullen Mansion has not only been restored to its original splendor but has been doubled in size with careful attention to matching its original architecture.

While Tynes Sparks Building Corporation has always answered to its previous customers for renovation work, the company also remains foremost in the minds of affluent Houstonians desiring to build new homes where they can entertain.

Tynes Sparks' reputation has expanded the company's activity far beyond River Oaks and Memorial to other areas of town and surrounding areas, including Clear Lake and Waterford Harbor. They have also been asked to build out entire floors in the city's prestigious residential high-rises, work that Sparks claims is every bit as involved as building a new home from the ground up in River Oaks.

Just as his father-in-law did for him, Sparks now coaches his
own son-in-law Mike Cannon, who will carry the company into its third generation. Cannon joined the company during the building-boom of the 1980s. His corporate accounting background was an asset in helping the company keep up with the pace of the thriving industry. Cannon enjoyed the opposite world of the rigid, structured, coat-and-tie environment he previously worked in, and soon his common sense and on-the-job training, from the best of the best, earned him the reputation of a master homebuilder.

CANNON IS MODEST IN TALKING ABOUT HIS ROLE ON THE JOBSITE. "WE'RE JUST THE BUILDER," HE EXPLAINED. "OUR MISSION IS TO EXECUTE THE ROAD MAP SET UP BY THE PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE CLIENT'S INSTRUCTIONS AND OVERALL VISION."

Sparks, Cannon and their three superintendents (who average 18 years with the firm) are intent on executing plans with precision and ultimate craftsmanship. They know Houston's tropical climate well and that building a comfortable, energy-efficient home is as important as its spectacular finishes.

They also understand that the client is the boss. "BUILDING A HOME OF THIS MAGNITUDE REQUIRES A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. IT'S LIKE A SYMPHONY. THE CLIENT IS THE CONDUCTOR, AND WE ARE THE PLAYERS. THERE ARE NO ROOKIES IN OUR ORCHESTRA. OUR CLIENTS DEPEND ON OUR LONGEVITY IN THE INDUSTRY TO ASSURE THEM THAT THEY ARE IN EXPERIENCED HANDS,"

As Cannon prepares to take the company into its next phase of history, he prepares the building team to serve a different type of client. While Tynes Sparks' clients were once comprised primarily of an older segment of the population, today many of the clients are from a younger generation.

The new generation is keen on electronic devices and wants to actively control the home environment, whether they are at home or on safari. The current homes built by Tynes Sparks Building Company are just as electronically sophisticated, as they are splendidly crafted.

The family business that has been wowing clients and guests in their homes, with nearly a century of stunning accomplishments, is destined to continue building today's ultimate homes and more of tomorrow's landmarks.