{"nrhp_refnum":"86000726","name":"Celaya, Augustine, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"504 E. Saint Francis St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brownsville","county":"Cameron County","state":"TX","lat":25.903418688000045,"lon":-97.50518170999999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-04-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, eleven-room adobe masonry residence at 504 East St. Francis Street in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, built in 1904 for lawyer and businessman Augustine Celaya, who planned the design himself.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an unusual Victorian-period design suited to Brownsville's tropical climate and the culmination of the city's local masonry tradition, which blended American and Mexican elements. It also reflects Augustine Celaya's role as a lawyer, public official and president of the Rio Grande Railroad. It is one of the few such houses in the city to remain with its original family and retain original furnishings.","narrative":"Built in 1904 at 504 East St. Francis Street in Brownsville, this eleven-room, two-story residence was planned by its owner, attorney Augustine Celaya, and built by A. Rendon. Walls of hand-made adobe brick, 13 inches thick and covered in natural cement, insulate against both heat and cold. Several wings, arched windows, shutters and a dentiled cornice were arranged to catch tropical breezes. The L-shaped plan centers on a curved, free-standing staircase with an Eastlake railing, and the entrance porch joins three polygonal bays. Brick outbuildings behind the house include a garage and laundry building with servants' quarters above. Celaya was a bilingual lawyer, a county official and president of the Rio Grande Railroad, which his father had organized. The house is described as the climax of Brownsville's local masonry tradition, which mixed American and Mexican design elements. It remained with the original family and retains much of its original character and furniture.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"A. Rendon - Planned by Augustine Celaya","architectural_style":"Victorian-period architecture in the local Brownsville masonry tradition, with Eastlake staircase railing","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied and in private ownership; condition is given as good and altered, with a porch removed in the 1960s and other changes over time.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:20.96609-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/54/9714/40971454/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/86000726.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971454","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001744"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/cameron-county/celaya-augustine-house-86000726/"}