Rastus-Read House
Why it's listed
Built around 1934-35 at 1509 First Street South in Lufkin, this one-story cottage is made of petrified wood rock laid in random courses. It has an irregular plan, a polychrome tile roof combining hip and gable forms, an exterior stone chimney on the west side, and a porch and porte cochere with arched openings. The windows are multipane wood double-hung sash, and a detached garage at the rear matches the house in construction. It was built for E. E. Rastus Read and his wife Erma, and first appears in the 1937 city directory on Old Diboll Highway. Read ran a tin shop, and the family collected petrified rock from farmers who had cleared their fields; the fireplace holds an entire petrified tree. The contractor, Jack Berry, was related to W. P. Berry, who built many homes in Lufkin's Mantooth area. The house was listed for its architecture, as a very fine local example of rock cottage and stone masonry work in the Craftsman tradition, and it remains in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a very fine example of a rock cottage and stone masonry in the Craftsman tradition. Its significance is in architecture at the local level. The house was built with East Texas petrified rock gathered by the original owner, and its fireplace contains an entire petrified tree.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88002768, listed December 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1509 First St., South, Lufkin |
|---|---|
| County | Angelina County |
| Listed | December 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002768 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Contractor Jack Berry |
| Architectural style | Craftsman/Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is described as excellent, with few if any exterior alterations. It is still used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.32028, -94.72751 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88002768.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001393
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.