{"nrhp_refnum":"71000956","name":"Old Nacogdoches University Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Washington Sq.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Nacogdoches","county":"Nacogdoches County","state":"TX","lat":31.606926602000044,"lon":-94.65151686699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-06-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story red brick, temple-form building on Washington Square (high school grounds) in Nacogdoches, Texas, built in 1858-1859 as the main building of Nacogdoches University.","why_significant":"Nacogdoches University, chartered in 1845, was probably the first nonsectarian institution of higher learning in Texas, and the 1858 main building is the only original university building that remains. The building is also noted for Greek Revival design with strong Jeffersonian classicism, comparable to Virginia Piedmont courthouses.","narrative":"Built in 1858-1859, this two-story red brick building on Washington Square in Nacogdoches is the surviving main hall of Nacogdoches University. Its temple form, four Tuscan columns, pediment and octagonal bell tower topped with a carved wooden pineapple reflect Greek style and Jeffersonian classicism, similar to rural Virginia courthouses of the early nineteenth century. The university was chartered in 1845 and was probably the first nonsectarian institution of higher learning in Texas, open to students regardless of religious belief. It operated, with brief interruptions, until 1895. During the Civil War the buildings served as a hospital and quarters for Confederate soldiers, and during Reconstruction as headquarters for a Federal regiment. The property passed to the Nacogdoches Independent School District in 1904. It is the only original university building remaining, and it was restored in the 1960s for use as a library and museum.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1858)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival temple form with Tuscan detailing, showing a strong relationship to Jeffersonian classicism","criteria":[],"status_note":"Restored in the 1960s; in excellent condition, unaltered and on its original site, open to the public as a museum and library.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.680685-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/74/9730/40973074/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/71000956.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000956/f81a71682f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000956/f81a71682f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Michael Barera","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nacogdoches_August_2017_44_(Old_University_Building).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Barera</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:Nacogdoches_August_2017_44_(Old_University_Building).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"92000019","name":"Washington Square Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/washington-square-historic-district-92000019/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973074","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107321721"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/nacogdoches-county/old-nacogdoches-university-building-71000956/"}