Built about 1880 as a wedding present for Katie (Allen) and Albert Van Hook, this house was designed by Katie's father, architect N. S. Allen. Allen designed many of the important homes and businesses of Shreveport for forty years. The modified L-plan structure originally featured Italianate details at the gable ends, a widow's walk and double chimneys. It remained in the Van Hook family until the 1950s. A renovation project in the 1990s restored many of the home's outstanding features, including the porch, gingerbread trim and bay window. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1999