Pytlovany, Simon, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 about a mile and a half south of Dubina, Texas, this farmhouse reproduces the Ukrainian peasant "izba" that its builder, Simon Pytlovany, knew before emigrating in 1896. Pytlovany reused timbers salvaged from Dubina's hurricane-damaged church. The 6 to 8 inch square frame was assembled upside down, joined with splices, holes and bolts, then raised. Split cedar logs and a mud, clay and straw mixture form walls fourteen to eighteen inches thick, finished with yellow clay plaster and whitewash. A massive baker-style oven in the kitchen doubled as a sleeping surface, and an adjustable chimney flue warmed the house in winter and drew cool air through it in summer. Steep gables carry wooden shingles and scalloped board-and-batten trim. The house never had plumbing, a telephone or electricity and has been unoccupied since 1959. Moisture is steadily breaking down the mud walls. It is valued as an unusual example of Ukrainian building transplanted to central Texas.
Significance in brief: The house closely follows the Ukrainian peasant hut, or "izba", and is described as a unique example of foreign building tradition brought to Texas around 1900. It shows inventive construction, including an upside-down-assembled frame, a mud-and-straw mix and a flue that worked as natural air-conditioning. While neighbors in the Czech-German community adapted to local conditions, Pytlovany built as he had known in Ukraine.
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 75001972, listed April 14, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1.5 mi. S of Dubina on FR 1383, Dubina |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | April 14, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001972 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Vernacular (Ukrainian "izba") |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Not lived in since 1959 and used for storage; wall fabric described as in very poor condition from moisture damage. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 29.71287, -96.83906 (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 75001972.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85801215
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.