{"nrhp_refnum":"70000754","name":"Birge-Beard House","other_names":["Beard House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"212 N. Vale St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Jefferson","county":"Marion County","state":"TX","lat":32.75759348200006,"lon":-94.34631852999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-08-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story frame Victorian residence at 212 N. Vale Street in Jefferson, Marion County, Texas, built about 1860 by Noble A. Birge. It was listed as the Beard House and later renamed the Birge-Beard House.","why_significant":"The 1970 nomination argues the house is one of the finest residences in Jefferson and is architecturally outstanding, with house plans recorded in the Library of Congress. A 2006 amendment added the name Birge to recognize its builder and first resident. Birge was a merchant and civic leader, and the house hosted the first Marion County commissioners court in 1860.","narrative":"Built around 1860 at 212 North Vale Street in Jefferson, Texas, this one-story frame Victorian house has a low hip roof, attached front and side porches, and a wide box cornice with slender scroll brackets. Its porch posts are unusual, shaped like a Greek cross in section. Inside are seven rooms, a central hall, a side hall and a rear wing. Noble A. Birge, a merchant and sheriff, built it; it served as the site of Marion County's first commissioners court in 1860 because the new county had no courthouse. Later owners included the Buckner firm, then Anna Beard, whose family held it until 1895, which is why locals call it the Beard House. A 1970 listing described it as one of Jefferson's finest residences, nearly unchanged apart from a kitchen added in 1900. In 2006 the name was amended to Birge-Beard House to credit its builder and first resident.","period_of_significance":"c. 1860-70","architect_builder":"Noble A. Birge (builder per the 2006 amendment; the 1970 form says architect and builder records are not available)","architectural_style":"Victorian","criteria":[],"status_note":"In 1970 the house was in good condition, privately owned, occupied as a private residence and largely unaltered; a kitchen extension was added in 1900.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.763392-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/9729/40972916/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/70000754.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000949","name":"Jefferson Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/jefferson-historic-district-71000949/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972916","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107321546"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/marion-county/birge-beard-house-70000754/"}