DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, every good Texas story has a man behind the curtain — someone whose name you might not know, but whose hand you can find pressed into the foundation of something great. Arthur Benjamin Cohn was that kind of man.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1871, he made his way to Houston and in 1905 he purchased a piece of property and set about building himself a home. And not just any home — a late Queen Anne style house, dressed up with paired classical columns and bracketed eaves. The kind of place that tells you, even before you knock, that the man inside takes his work seriously.
He lived there until 1909, and if those walls could talk, I suspect they'd have some things to say about late nights and long ledgers. Because Arthur Cohn's day job was no small matter. He served as principal accountant for the William Marsh Rice Estate — and if you know anything about what came of that estate, you know where this is heading.
Cohn was instrumental in the establishment of Rice Institute in 1912, and when those doors opened, he didn't just step back and admire his handiwork. He stepped forward — as its very first business manager. The man who helped bring the whole thing into existence then stayed on to keep the lights on and the books balanced.
Arthur Benjamin Cohn died in 1938, but the institution he helped build is still standing. So is the house. And now, so is the story.
What the marker says
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Arthur Benjamin Cohn (1871-1938) constructed this home soon after purchasing the property in 1905. As principal accountant for the William Marsh Rice Estate, Cohn was instrumental in the establishment of Rice Institute in 1912 and served as its first business manager. The late Queen Anne style house, which features paired classical columns and bracketed eaves, was Cohn's residence until 1909. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1985