National Historical RegisterIndependent guide · not a government site

Durazno Plantation

Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas Listed Ref. 80004081 District
Durazno Plantation, Jones Creek, Texas
Photo: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Open in OpenStreetMap

The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.

Why it's listed

Durazno Plantation occupies about 129 acres south of Jones Creek in Brazoria County, Texas. The land was part of a 1828 Mexican grant to Stephen F. Austin, who hoped to settle there with Mary Austin Holley. His nephew, William Joel Bryan, settled the property in 1840 and developed it into a cotton, cattle and sugar-producing center that became a hub for the extended Austin, Bryan and Perry families. The present main house dates from 1909 and was built around earlier structures, including a plantation office and a log kitchen still hidden within its walls. Other features include a brick gatepost and cistern, a log carriage house, a syrup kettle, and a relocated c. 1900 Carpenter Gothic church. Chimney ruins mark a row of about twelve slave cabins, and an unmarked slave cemetery lies northwest of the house. The property was listed for its historical associations, surviving fabric and potential to yield archeological information about Texas Gulf Coast plantation life.

Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the earliest and most important plantations of Texas' colonial period, developed by William Joel Bryan, nephew of Stephen F. Austin, on land tied to Austin's plans with Mary Austin Holley. Much historic fabric survives, including the original office and kitchen inside the later house. The site also offers archeological potential, including slave cabin remains and a slave cemetery.

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 80004081, listed September 2, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).

Key facts

AddressS of Jones Creek off TX 36, Jones Creek
CountyBrazoria County
ListedSeptember 2, 1980
Reference number80004081
Resource typeDistrict
Period of significance1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates 1828, 1840s, 1909)
Architect / builderWilliam Joel Bryan
Areas of significanceHistoric - Non-Aboriginal, Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Architecture
Level of significanceState
Status (as stated in the nomination)Occupied as a private residence and used for agriculture; condition rated excellent to good and altered. The church is used for storage.
Acreage129
Coordinates28.95624, -95.44930 (NPS GIS)

What listing means for this property

This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.

Sources and further reading

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.