Badu Building
Also known as: Carol Phelan Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 at 601 Bessemer Avenue in Llano, this two-story building of local grey granite and red brick was made for the First National Bank. The Llano Improvement and Furnace Company erected it as part of a planned business district on the north side of town during the mining-driven "Boom Days," when Llano's population grew from about 900 to over 7,000. A checkerboard band of rough and smooth granite blocks, granite lintels and sills, and classical doorway pilasters and entablatures give it a distinctive vernacular character. Inside, much of the original marble floor and natural wood office partitions survive. It is the last survivor of the buildings planned for that district. In 1898 N.J. Badu, a mineralogist who discovered the rare "opaline" stone found only in Llano County, bought it as a family home, and his descendants occupied it for generations. A later rear addition does not match the original materials or style.
Significance in brief: It is the last surviving building of its type from the planned north-side business district built during Llano's 1880s-1893 "Boom Days". It also has ties to N.J. Badu, a mineralogist who bought it in 1898 and discovered the rare "opaline" stone found only in Llano County. Its granite detailing is described as a distinctive vernacular form.
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 80004139, listed June 6, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 601 Bessemer Ave., Llano |
|---|---|
| County | Llano County |
| Listed | June 6, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004139 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Llano Improvement and Furnace Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular classical features in native materials |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Exploration/Settlement, Science |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; used as a family weekend home and offered for sale at the time of nomination, with future plans uncertain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.75678, -98.67637 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 80004139.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4841157
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.