Manautou House
Why it's listed
Built in 1924-1925 on a prominent Brownsville corner, this red brick house at Elizabeth Street and Palm Boulevard carries a Prairie style design rare in Texas. A squarish two-story central block is flanked by one-story wings under hipped roofs of red terra cotta tile and broad, unbroken eaves. White cast concrete bands, stepped brick piers and planter boxes add contrast to the brick walls. Edward Guy Holliday, a builder and architect who had worked in El Paso, where Prairie style buildings appeared in the 1920s, designed and built it. He adapted a design from a booklet chosen by the owner and turned the entrance toward Elizabeth Street. Its plan resembles Frank Lloyd Wright's 1907 model fireproof house. The owner, Enrique Manautou, founded a department store and was among Brownsville's leading merchants for nearly fifty years. The house has changed little and remains a private residence, with a matching brick garage and servant's apartment on the property.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare Texas derivative of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie style, reaching Brownsville in the mid-1920s through Holliday's El Paso connections. It was unique in Brownsville for its Prairie school massing and detail. It was also built for Enrique Manautou, a leading Brownsville merchant and the first Mexican-American president of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce.
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 83003130, listed July 14, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5 E. Elizabeth St., Brownsville |
|---|---|
| County | Cameron County |
| Listed | July 14, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003130 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1925 |
| Architect / builder | E. Guy Holliday, builder/architect |
| Architectural style | Prairie style, derived from Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Few alterations; still occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 25.90921, -97.50631 (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 83003130.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107319047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.