An iconic Texas Mansion Murder home is on the market

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — One of Houston’s most famous homes is now on the market. We’re talking about the infamous Kirby house that is the focus of our Texas True Crime documentary, Texas Mansion Murder.

If you drive past 1561 Kirby, the exterior of the stately home hasn’t changed much over the decades, and inside, the house is filled with Houston history, much of which is chronicled in books, films and documentaries.

In fact, every room in the house pays homage in some way to the story of Dr. John and Joan Robinson Hill, exactly what owners Robin and Danny Klaes always wanted.

“The story was very important. I had always heard about it,” Robin Klaes said, remembering the time they decided to buy the house 13 years ago.

“She said to me, ‘I want to go see this house. I want to save this house,'” Danny remembers. “Anyone who looks at it might want to tear it down and build something else again.” “And, uh, that’s kind of how it started.”

The Klaes had lived in the River Oaks area for years. They knew it was the house where Dr. John Hill and his lovely wife, Joan Robinson Hill, lived in the 1960s. John Hill had a state-of-the-art music room built on top of the original frame of the 1930s house. For many years the couple held concerts and lounges in this music room, which is still preserved today. in a perfect state.

But the marriage would end tragically. Joan, a well-known equestrian, fell ill inside the house and died. Dr. Hill was charged with murder by omission in her death. After the mistrial, but before a second trial began, Dr. Hill was killed on the front porch of the house by a suspected shooter. The legal wrangling that ensued would make headlines in Houston for years.

The Klaes family loved every moment of this story. Robin Klaes has a horse-themed artwork in every room, in honor of Joan. “I think my favorite room is when I go down for coffee and I see the big horse sculpture on the wall, and it reminds me every day that, you know, there we all have a story in our lives .”

The Klaes have redecorated and updated the house to modern standards. However, they kept the iconic music room and structure largely intact. The holidays were filled with extravagant decorations and celebrations, and for almost every nonprofit in town that asked, they opened the doors to fundraisers and events.

“During COVID-19, we had these driveway parties,” Danny remembers. “Our friends are asking, ‘What about your driveway parties?'”

However, in recent years, they have become aware of their golden age.

“She’s older. She’s older than me, so she needs extra help going up and down the stairs and I can’t take it anymore,” Danny laughed.

“That’s not funny,” Robin said, laughing from beside him.

The fun-loving couple decided they needed a home with a downstairs bedroom if they wanted to age gracefully in place. So they reluctantly decided to put the house on the market. They hope the next owner will appreciate its history and want to preserve it.

“I hope the next person can come and enjoy everything they do and have as much fun as we have had over the last 13 years,” Robin said.

“But,” Danny said, “we reserve the right to change our minds.”

After all, it’s hard to leave behind a home with a singular history in Houston’s history.

For more information on the home, see the HAR listing.

Watch Texas True Crime on your favorite streaming devices, like Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and GoogleTV. Just search for “ABC13 Houston.”