National Register Properties from the National Park Service

Compiled and maintained by the National Park Service, this database lists all locations in the state deemed worthy of National Register status by virtue of their architectural or historical significance. Photographs are included for many sites, and detailed narratives delving into architectural and historical details accompany about two-thirds of the sites included here.

Included are numerous single-family residences; commercial buildings, including retail and office buildings, gas stations, theaters, opera houses, and hotels; government buildings, such as courthouses, jails, and post offices; churches, synagogues, missions, and cemeteries; schools, both public and private; public facilities, including libraries, parks, and community centers; military institutions; industrial concerns and utilities; cotton gins and farms; railroad depots, bridges, and ships; and numerous historic commercial and residential districts. All sites represented in this database are at least 50 years in age. Though most date to the late 1800s and early 1900s, several date to Spanish colonial times.

Data from this survey can be located through a county search in any county of interest with "NR Properties" selected as the site type.

What will I find?

For documents with accompanying photographs, this information is listed first. Photos can be loaded by clicking on the word "photograph" in blue at the top of the document.

The following identifying information is included for each site: reference number, resource name, other names, street address, notation of restricted access, owner's name, and resource type (building, structure, district, etc.).

Information related to the site's nomination for National Register status includes the number of buildings, sites, structures, and objects which were considered as contributing to the National Register designation; the number of nominated buildings, sites, structures, and objects at the site; nominating agency; federal agency; park name (if applicable); multiple names (if applicable); nominated name (if different); National Register certification and date (year/month/day).

Also included may be significance level (local, state, or national); significance name; circa; significant year; state; cultural affiliation; architect; other description; county; city; area of significance; area style (architectural); current function/subfunction; and historic function/subfunction. Additional information may include brief notations on foundation, walls, roof, and other materials; other certifications and documentation; period (identified in applicable 25 year increments); UTM zone and coordinates; acreage; and narrative.

Other names may also include references to related sites.
Significant year may include year of construction as well as years when significant historical events occurred at the site.
Area of significance may be listed as architecture, commerce, education, industry, medicine, military, prehistory, religion, social history, or transportation.
Narratives, available for about two-thirds of the sites in the database, are exceptionally detailed, with precise architectural descriptions and discussions of architectural significance, and often chronicling alterations to the site or its buildings. Site-specific eligibility criteria for National Register status may be discussed, references to other National Register properties or other designations the site has received may be included, and, for historical districts, an inventory of contributing buildings may be listed. Bibliographies, though usually on file in the National Register, are sometimes listed here as well.

How can I use it?

This database contains a wealth of information on a wide variety of topics of both general and specialized interest, including architecture, history, education, religion, transportation, and the military.

Architectural value is, of course, a primary concern in this database, and students and teachers of architecture can find precise descriptions and specific discussions of numerous architectural periods and styles. Architectural styles represented include Beaux Arts, Bungalow/Craftsman, Classical Revival, Georgian, Gothic, Greek Revival, Italianate, Mission, Moderne, Prairie School, Queen Anne, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor, Victorian, and many others.

Students and researchers of local and state history will also find material of interest here, including a few sites related to Texas' prehistory, like the Alibates Flint Quarries in Potter Co., as well as sites important in Spanish colonization, in Republic of Texas times, and in the early days of the State of Texas. Narratives on commercial and residential historic districts, like the Dealey Plaza Historic District in Dallas Co. or the Alamo Plaza Historic District in Bexar Co., offer information of state or national historical value, while other districts, such as the Clarksville Historic District in Travis Co., offer more detailed glimpses of local historic life. Social historians will also find information on various ethnic groups that settled early in the state, including Hispanics, Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, and blacks, among others.

Educational interests are represented with discussions of the architecture and history of numerous area schools, both public and private, ranging from early public high schools and elementary schools to institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities represented include Abilene Christian University, Amarillo College, Blinn College, Decatur Baptist College, Hardin Simmons University, Huston-Tillotson College, Mary Hardin-Baylor College, McMurry University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University, Southwest Texas State University, Trinity University, and the University of Texas.

Brief local histories of various religious groups in the state are presented in discussions of their churches, synagogues, parsonages, convents, and cemeteries. Thanks to Spanish colonists, the Catholic presence dates to earliest historic times, as evidenced by the Church of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe in Bexar Co., begun in 1728. Other religious groups include African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian.

Transportation is documented in bridges and early streetcar systems, but is especially prominent in numerous sites relating to railroads in the state. Major railroads, such as Missouri Pacific, Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Texas & Pacific, are represented, as are less well-known lines like Kansas City, Mexico & Orient; Abilene & Northern; International & Great Northern; and National de Mexico.

Also of interest here is the chronicling of early military institutions in the area, including Brooks and Randolph Air Force Bases, Fort Sam Houston, Old Fort Bliss, and the U.S. San Antonio Arsenal.

Other productive areas of interest in this database include agriculture, commerce, industry, medicine, and genealogy.

What else should I know?

Narratives are not available for some sites, especially residential structures. Acreage for individual properties may be erroneously listed as 9. Serious researchers and teachers should note that while the street address is given near the top of each document, the city is not listed until about midway through the document, perhaps causing some confusion to those wishing to visit a particular site.