Washington Square Historic District

Washington Square Historic District is a residential neighborhood of about 80 buildings spread over roughly ten blocks in Nacogdoches, Texas. It centers on Washington Square along N. Mound Street, where the Old Nacogdoches University Building, a two-story Greek Revival structure with Doric columns, was erected in 1859. The area grew slowly and piecemeal, so no single style dominates. Queen Anne houses from the 1890s and early 1900s, Craftsman bungalows, Classical Revival institutional buildings and Tudor Revival houses of the 1920s and 1930s all appear. Once among the most prestigious addresses in the city, it holds many of Nacogdoches' grandest homes, several designed or enlarged by architect Dietrich Rulfs. Churches, schools and school-related buildings stand alongside the houses, and only two small commercial buildings are present. Of the 80 buildings, 55 contribute to the district's historic character; most noncontributing ones are either recent or heavily altered historic structures. The district was recognized for its architecture, with a period of significance from 1859 to 1940.