Cavitt House
Why it's listed
This two-story stuccoed brick house at 713 East 30th Street in Bryan, Texas, was completed around 1875 for William R. Cavitt, a Brazos County landowner and financier. Cavitt bought the city block in January 1875 and brought his bride to the finished house that October. The L-shaped building has load-bearing brick walls, deeply inset double galleries with square wooden columns, a bay window, paired windows under stilted segmental arches, and a one-story kitchen ell. A T-shaped captain's walk links the two hipped roofs. It is described as Bryan's oldest residence and the only local Italianate example, though it lacks the deep bracketed cornices, corner tower and elaborate millwork common to the style. The Cavitt family kept ownership and most original furnishings, and few major changes were made. Because much of Bryan was rebuilt after Reconstruction, the house represents the city's earliest substantial buildings. It had been vacant since 1971, when the owners entered a nursing facility.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Bryan's oldest residential structure and the only local example of the Italianate style. It is unusually restrained for its style and date, and it remained in the builder's family with few alterations. It also represents the earliest group of substantial buildings in Bryan.
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 76002010, listed October 27, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 713 E. 30th St., Bryan |
|---|---|
| County | Brazos County |
| Listed | October 27, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76002010 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and maintained by the Cavitt family, but vacant since the owners entered a nursing facility in 1971. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Within district | East Side Historic District |
| Coordinates | 30.66636, -96.36747 (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 76002010.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000482
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.