By George Slaughter
The house at 5402 Franz will be part of the city’s parks department. (Chris Harris photo)
The Katy City Council Monday authorized the purchase of a historic home, and some equipment, to be used by the city’s parks department.
The city will purchase the house, at 5402 Franz Road, for $350,000. The city will purchase the tractor and trailer for $22,750. The money for these purchases will come from the city’s reserve fund.
The house sits on a 1.24-acre plot just east of the Katy Library. The site sits near the Katy City Park, Mary Jo Peckham Park, and the Katy Off-Leash Dog Park.
The house is to be used as a Parks Learning Center and offices for the city’s parks department.
Adrienne Davitz, Katy Heritage Society president, said the house is known as the Old Fussell Home, though it’s not immediately clear whether the Fussell family designed or they were the first residents in the home.
According to records, she said, the house was built in 1940, though she believes it was actually before then. The house was renovated in 2008, she said. The roof design has undergone revisions over the years, she said.