{"nrhp_refnum":"04001172","name":"Palapa Table for James Richard Marmion","other_names":[],"category":"object","location":{"address":"1214 County Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Sweeny","county":"Brazoria County","state":"TX","lat":29.044111060000034,"lon":-95.64771263999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-10-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A concrete faux bois (imitation wood) palapa table with two benches, sculpted by Dionicio Rodriguez around 1926 on the James Richard Marmion Estate near Sweeny, Brazoria County, Texas.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the table and benches are an exceptional example of the work of noted sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez, under Criterion C in the area of Art. It describes them as one of Rodriguez's best pieces, showing close attention to detail and an outstanding level of craftsmanship.","narrative":"Near Sweeny in Brazoria County, Texas, a concrete table and two benches stand on the former weekend retreat of James Richard Marmion, on the western bank of the San Bernard River. Sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez made the set around 1926, finishing the concrete with tinting and texture so it resembles wood. A round palapa roof, eight feet across, is carried by a nine-foot faux tree trunk with knot holes, peeling bark and a large faux steel bolt, and three branches act as roof brackets. A forty-inch tabletop imitates diagonally mortised boards. One bench is a curved faux log; the other has a bark-textured backrest curving to the ground. Marmion commissioned the work, and a palapa-roofed gazebo stands elsewhere on the property. The set was listed for its high artistic value as a work by Rodriguez, whom the nomination calls a noted sculptor. Only the table, benches and the ground beneath them are included, and the estate has not been evaluated.","period_of_significance":"c.1926","architect_builder":"Dionicio Rodriguez","architectural_style":"OTHER: Faux bois sculpture","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed current function is Recreation and Culture / Work of Art; the nearby residence it was built beside no longer exists.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.192909-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/9/9684/40968409/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/04001172.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001172/59936a3503-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001172/59936a3503-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palapa_Table_for_Richard_James_Marmion_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palapa_Table_for_Richard_James_Marmion_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968409","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000366"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/brazoria-county/palapa-table-for-james-richard-marmion-04001172/"}