Higgs, Walter J., House
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 609 N. Tabor in Bryan, Texas, dates to about 1910, when Walter J. Higgs had it built for his family. It follows a center-passage plan and has weatherboard siding, a hipped roof with a hipped dormer centered over the facade, and wood double-hung windows. A five-bay shed-roofed porch with turned-wood posts and balusters runs across the west elevation. Other details include a raised foundation covered in pressed-tin sheathing in a stone pattern, classical detailing around the door and windows, and a projecting ell on the south side. The house was moved from across the railroad tracks at the east edge of downtown. It was recognized for its architecture, being perhaps the best of several similar local dwellings that kept hipped roofs and porches across the main elevation. Higgs worked as a bookkeeper for the Humpty Dumpty Store in the late 1930s. The house remains in residential use and is in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is described as perhaps the best surviving example of several similar dwellings in Bryan with hipped roofs and porches across the primary elevation. It was built in a style popular at the time. The area of significance is architecture.
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 87001620, listed September 25, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 609 N. Tabor, Bryan |
|---|---|
| County | Brazos County |
| Listed | September 25, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001620 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Center passage |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is stated as good; present use is residential. The house was moved from across the railroad tracks at the east edge of downtown. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.68230, -96.37079 (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 87001620.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000735
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.