Britton-Evans House
Also known as: Centennial House
Why it's listed
Built in 1849-50 on the bluff above Corpus Christi Bay, this two-story house at 411 N. Broadway is the city's oldest surviving residence. It is made of shell brick, a mix of slaked oyster shell and sand typical of the Texas coast then, covered in plaster scored to look like stone. A double gallery with six square columns spans the front, and a low hipped roof covers the building. The house was built for Forbes Britton, a former army officer, shipping partner, rancher and state legislator who wrote the Texas militia law. It later served as a Confederate and then Federal hospital during the Civil War. George F. Evans, a merchant and mayor, bought it in 1880, and his family kept it for 56 years. Southern Minerals converted it to offices in 1936. The city renamed it Centennial House in 1949, and the Corpus Christi Area Heritage Society restored it as a museum in the late 1960s.
Significance in brief: It is a good example of early Texas Greek Revival architecture and is the oldest surviving residence in Corpus Christi. It is also tied to Forbes Britton, an early settler and state legislator, and to George F. Evans, a merchant and mayor who owned it for 56 years.
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 76002054, listed December 12, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 411 N. Broadway, Corpus Christi |
|---|---|
| County | Nueces County |
| Listed | December 12, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76002054 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1849-50 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored as a house museum in the late 1960s by the Corpus Christi Area Heritage Society; condition listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 27.79355, -97.39672 (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 76002054.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107318729
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.