Bridges-Johnson House
Why it's listed
Set among the rolling hills outside Meridian, this house was built around 1860 and combines two unusual ideas. Its plan follows the dog-trot cabin, with two rooms divided by an open breezeway under one roof, but each room is octagonal rather than rectangular. Every side of each octagon has a door, window or shuttered opening to aid ventilation in the hot climate. The walls are lime concrete poured in forms in layers about twelve inches high, rather than the log construction typical of dog-trot cabins. It is the only survivor of three known buildings of this type near Meridian. Deed records show W. H. Bridges, a physician from Georgia, bought the land in 1861 and sold it in 1862 at a much higher price, suggesting the house was built then. The Johnson family owned it from 1882 until 1965. Later additions include a enclosed central hall and a rear room addition. The property is deteriorated and vacant, and a collapsed south porch is gone.
Significance in brief: The house is rare in both plan and construction technique. Concrete octagonal rooms flanking a breezeway are described as unique among known extant buildings in Texas. Lime concrete was rare in inland Texas, and this is the only remaining example of three known such structures near Meridian.
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 79003447, listed October 25, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off TX 6, SW of Meridian, Meridian |
|---|---|
| County | Bosque County |
| Listed | October 25, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003447 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1861) |
| Architect / builder | W. H. Bridges |
| Architectural style | Octagonal mode adapted to a dog-trot plan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant, with condition marked deteriorated and altered; the south porch has collapsed. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 31.91163, -97.65580 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79003447.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001690
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.