Burns, John W., House

Dr. John Burns built this two-story frame house at 311 E. Broadway in Cuero around 1902. It has an asymmetrical plan, stuccoed walls, and a hip roof with gables. A round tower with a bellcast roof and finial marks the north corner. Two pedimented entry porticos, one with paired Doric columns on piers, shelter the entrances. Other details include dentil courses between the stories and along the eaves, classical window surrounds, and leaded and art glass throughout. The house sits at an angle to the street. Burns lived here until his death in 1939. In 1911 he founded Burns Hospital, one of two privately run hospitals in Cuero in the early twentieth century. It was sold in 1934 to the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and demolished in 1970. Burns also served on the boards of many local businesses. The house is recognized as Cuero's finest example of Queen Anne-style architecture and remains in residential use in good condition.