Dobie, John R., House
Also known as: Dobie House
Why it's listed
Built about 1892 just east of Wimberley's small central business district, this one-story frame house follows the center passage plan, with rooms flanking a central hall under a side gable roof. Walls are board and batten, and an external limestone chimney was rebuilt during restoration. Around 1900 the hall was partly enclosed and a flat-roofed front portico was added. The property also holds a storage shed, a privy and a modern well house on about 1.34 acres. Wimberley grew around a grist and sawmill on Cypress Creek, and local timber, including cypress, shaped its early buildings. The house was built near the end of the period when cypress was still available. Owners over time included a San Marcos rancher, a Scottish emigrant named John R. Dobie, and a physician who also ran the post office there from 1903 to 1906. A 1989-1990 restoration returned the interior close to its 1892 layout. The house is recognized as a practical, unpretentious example of local vernacular building.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that the house is an excellent, largely intact example of late 19th century Hill Country vernacular architecture, built of local materials and following the traditional center passage plan. It is judged significant locally under Criterion C in Architecture. Few similar Wimberley houses keep as much architectural and historic integrity.
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 92001024, listed August 18, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 282 Old Kyle Rd., Wimberley |
|---|---|
| County | Hays County |
| Listed | August 18, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001024 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1892-c.1900 |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular: center passage plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1989-1990 and described as in excellent condition with integrity retained; current function listed as a hotel. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 29.99686, -98.09313 (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 92001024.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002226
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.