Belvin Street Historic District

Belvin Street in San Marcos is a tree-shaded avenue of 21 houses across three blocks, with one more house facing Mitchell Street. Fifteen were built between 1878 and 1910 and are mostly frame Victorian homes with broad porches, hipped and gabled roofs, and jigsawn trim. Carpenter Gothic, Second Empire and Eastlake details appear, along with a grand Colonial Revival house. Two houses have mansard towers, the only ones in town. The street grew from the Belvin Addition, developed by Methodist minister Robert Hixon Belvin, a former president of Coronal Institute. Belvin Street has been linked with education since a school operated there around 1860. Farmers and stockmen moved to town to be near Coronal, and later residents included teachers and presidents of Southwest Texas Normal School. The John Francis McGehee House, with Eastlake gallery trim, is called the best house of the district. Six later or heavily altered houses do not contribute, but none are considered intrusions.