{"nrhp_refnum":"05000386","name":"Rayburn, Sam, Library and Museum","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"800 W. Sam Rayburn Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bonham","county":"Fannin County","state":"TX","lat":33.57828220000005,"lon":-96.18773787299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-05-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Classical Revival library and museum at 800 W. Sam Rayburn Drive in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas, completed in 1957 and designed by Roscoe DeWitt of Dallas and built by Carpenter Brothers.","why_significant":"It is associated with Sam Rayburn, longest-serving Speaker of the U.S. House, who used its replica office as his local office from 1957 until his death in 1961. It is also considered the most prominent and finest Classical Revival public building in Fannin County. Because it is under fifty years old, it also meets Criteria Consideration G.","narrative":"Completed in 1957 on a 4.3-acre tract in Bonham, Texas, this Classical Revival building was created to hold the books, papers and political artifacts of Sam Rayburn, longtime Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and to give his constituents a place to read and visit. Designed by Dallas architect Roscoe DeWitt and built by Carpenter Brothers, it has a copper roof, Georgia marble walls bonded to a concrete and steel frame, and a front facade with four Ionic columns. Inside are an exact replica of Rayburn's Washington office, exhibit rooms and a reading room. Rayburn used the office to meet constituents from 1957 until his death in 1961. The library is recognized for its connection to him and as the finest Classical Revival public building in Fannin County. It remains in use as a library and museum, now affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin.","period_of_significance":"1957-1961","architect_builder":"Roscoe DeWitt (architect); Carpenter Bros. (builders)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition with a high degree of integrity, and still functioning as a library and museum.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.938131-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/24/9719/40971924/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/05000386.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000386/335bb66f01-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000386/335bb66f01-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rayburnlibrary1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rayburnlibrary1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971924","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Rayburn_Library_and_Museum","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43079697"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/fannin-county/rayburn-sam-library-and-museum-05000386/"}