Sayles Boulevard Historic District

Sayles Boulevard Historic District covers about 12 blocks southwest of Abilene's central business district in Taylor County, Texas. A landscaped esplanade divides traffic along Sayles Boulevard, the district's centerpiece. Most of the 110 buildings are detached single-family houses built in the 1920s, ranging from one to three stories in frame or masonry. Bungalow, Prairie School and Moderne designs mix with Tudor, Classical, Spanish Colonial and Colonial Revival houses, and many lots have garage apartments echoing the main house. The district also includes the Victorian-era Henry Sayles House, which was listed separately in 1979. Of the resources, 73 contribute to the district's character and 37 do not, mainly newer ranch-style houses or heavily altered older ones. The area was recognized for its link to Abilene's growth as a railroad-based wholesale and distribution center and for its architecture. Residents included merchants, attorneys and developers, among them Henry Sayles, Jr., whose subdivisions shaped much of the city's housing.