Washington Square Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Blount, Stephen William and Mary Price, House; Old N
Why it's listed
Washington Square Historic District is a residential neighborhood of about 80 buildings spread over roughly ten blocks in Nacogdoches, Texas. It centers on Washington Square along N. Mound Street, where the Old Nacogdoches University Building, a two-story Greek Revival structure with Doric columns, was erected in 1859. The area grew slowly and piecemeal, so no single style dominates. Queen Anne houses from the 1890s and early 1900s, Craftsman bungalows, Classical Revival institutional buildings and Tudor Revival houses of the 1920s and 1930s all appear. Once among the most prestigious addresses in the city, it holds many of Nacogdoches' grandest homes, several designed or enlarged by architect Dietrich Rulfs. Churches, schools and school-related buildings stand alongside the houses, and only two small commercial buildings are present. Of the 80 buildings, 55 contribute to the district's historic character; most noncontributing ones are either recent or heavily altered historic structures. The district was recognized for its architecture, with a period of significance from 1859 to 1940.
Significance in brief: The district is nominated under Criterion C for architecture. It was once one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods and contains many of its grandest houses in Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Craftsman and Tudor Revival styles. The Old Nacogdoches University Building (1859) anchored its development, and many houses were designed by architect Dietrich Rulfs.
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 92000019, listed February 14, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Houston, Logansport, N. Lanana, E. Hospital and N. Fredonia Sts., Nacogdoches |
|---|---|
| County | Nacogdoches County |
| Listed | February 14, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000019 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1859-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Rulfs, Dietrich A. W. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian (Queen Anne); Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals (Classical Revival, Tudor Revival); Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely intact residential neighborhood with current use still domestic and educational; only a small number of vacant lots and relatively little new construction after 1941. |
| Acreage | 70 |
| Coordinates | 31.60718, -94.64986 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 92000019.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999736
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.