Cook, Charles, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1923 at 103 E. Sarah Street in Cuero, this one-story frame house was commissioned by Charles Cook from architect Beverly Spillman, with H.H. Mayben as contractor. Its stucco walls rise to a clipped gable roof covered in clay tile, with exposed rafter ends and wood double-hung windows. Distinctive details include a massive chimney with tile detailing and twin ceramic chimney pots, ribbon windows, a porte-cochere incorporated into the gable roof, and a carved stone surround on the projecting entry bay. The house is regarded as one of Cuero's finest and as the best local example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, a style that was popular in the city during the 1920s and 1930s. It stayed in the Cook family until 1942, when new owners took it over. It sits on a site of less than one acre in a mostly commercial area north of the central business district and remains in residential use in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites architecture as the basis of significance. It describes the house as one of Cuero's finest and one of the best local examples of Spanish Colonial Revival, a style popular in the city in the 1920s and 1930s. The evaluation recommends acceptance under Criterion C.
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 88001986, listed October 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 103 E. Sarah, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001986 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Beverly Spillman; contractor H.H. Mayben |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition listed as good; present use residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Terrell-Reuss Streets Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.09593, -97.28838 (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 88001986.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001885
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.