{"nrhp_refnum":"04001171","name":"Gazebo for Alber Steves","other_names":["Gazebo at Haven River Inn"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"105 FM 473, at east portion of property","address_restricted":false,"city":"Comfort","county":"Kendall County","state":"TX","lat":29.968301504000067,"lon":-98.88298147499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-12-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A concrete faux bois gazebo with a palapa-style roof, built around 1926 on the Albert Steves summer home property (now the Haven River Inn) on FM 473 near Comfort, Kendall County, Texas. It was made by sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez.","why_significant":"The gazebo is nominated under Criterion C in the area of Art as an outstanding example of Dionicio Rodriguez's work. Its bark textures, worm holes, lichen and peeling-bark details are characteristic of his technique. It is strikingly similar to the Marmion Gazebo in Sweeny and to a gazebo in a photograph of the Phelan mansion in Beaumont.","narrative":"Perched on a hillside high above the Guadalupe River near Comfort, this octagonal gazebo is a concrete sculpture made to look like a rustic woodland shelter. Dionicio Rodriguez built it around 1926 for San Antonio businessman Albert Steves, who wanted a summer home near his birthplace. Eight twelve-foot concrete \"tree trunks\" imitate pecan, cypress, pine, hackberry and oak bark and support a three-layer palapa roof of simulated straw. Crossed \"branches\" act as brackets, and a railing of small \"logs\" surrounds the floor of concrete \"oak\" planks. The base is faced with concrete \"rocks,\" some hollowed as planters; one rolls back to reveal an opening where Steves reportedly kept wine. Worm holes, lichen and peeling bark are present throughout. The gazebo is listed for its artistic value as an exceptional work by Rodriguez, and it closely resembles a gazebo he built for Marmion at Sweeny. It remains in good condition and is now a wedding venue at a bed and breakfast.","period_of_significance":"c.1926","architect_builder":"Dionicio Rodriguez","architectural_style":"Other: Faux bois sculpture","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The structure is in good condition, with much of its original color remaining. It is still used for recreation and is a popular wedding site at the bed and breakfast.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.455241-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/64/9697/40969764/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/04001171.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001171/6dc463b5c1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001171/6dc463b5c1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazebo_for_albert_steves_2013.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gazebo_for_albert_steves_2013.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969764","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001258"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/kendall-county/gazebo-for-alber-steves-04001171/"}