1918 State Office Building and 1933 State Highway Building
Also known as: State Land Office Building:TEA Building; James Earl Rudder Bu
Why it's listed
Two state office buildings face each other across Brazos Street at East 11th Street in Austin, just southeast of the Texas Capitol. The 1918 State Office Building is a five-story steel-frame structure designed by Atlee B. Ayres. Its north and west faces are finished in Classical Revival style with brick, limestone and cast iron, including Ionic columns and ornamental spandrels. Inside, a vaulted lobby has terra cotta reliefs and marble floors. It first housed several agencies, including the General Land Office. The 1933 State Highway Building is a nine-story Art Deco tower of cream-colored limestone and pink granite, with stepped setbacks and an entrance topped by bas-relief panels showing stages of road building. It was built for the Texas Highway Department. Both buildings keep a high degree of architectural integrity despite window replacements and interior changes, and both continue to serve as state government offices.
Significance in brief: The State Office Building is presented as a fine example of a modern office building in Classical Revival style, designed by noted Texas architect Atlee B. Ayres, with high integrity. The State Highway Building is described as one of Austin's best examples of Art Deco architecture and is tied to the history of the Texas Highway Department.
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 97001625, listed January 7, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1019 Brazos and 125 E. 11th Sts., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | January 7, 1998 |
| Reference number | 97001625 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Atlee B. Ayres (State Office Building); bas-relief panels on the State Highway Building signed "H. Villa, 1933" |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Revivals: Classical Revival; Modern Movement: Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings remain in government office use; the State Office Building was restored in the late 1980s and is occupied by the Texas Secretary of State. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.27224, -97.74027 (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 97001625.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q24372210
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.