Willeke, John, Sr., House
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Why it's listed
This one-story brick house at 931 East Harris in San Angelo was built before 1910 by John Willeke Sr., a German-born quarryman and stonemason who came to the San Angelo area in the 1880s. The solid red brick walls have stone sills and lintels and sit on a rough-coursed stone foundation. The complex roof follows an irregular plan, with two street-facing gables, flared boxed eaves and cornice returns. An L-shaped porch has square brick columns and a solid brick railing, and the main entry has a glazed door flanked by sidelights. Willeke worked on the old Tom Green County Courthouse and on numerous schools, churches and commercial buildings before World War I, and architect Oscar Ruffini often chose him and his brothers to carry out his designs. The house is part of a family compound with the property at 941 East Harris, remains in good condition, and is valued as a local example of brick vernacular construction.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a good example of local brick vernacular construction. It was the home of German-born John Willeke, a quarryman and stonemason who helped build the old Tom Green County Courthouse and many local schools, churches and commercial buildings. The house remains in good condition and largely unaltered.
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 88002572, listed November 25, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 931 E. Harris, San Angelo |
|---|---|
| County | Tom Green County |
| Listed | November 25, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002572 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Willeke |
| Architectural style | Brick Vernacular |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is described as good, and the house is largely unaltered and on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.46529, -100.42175 (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 88002572.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001360
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.