Delwood Duplex Historic District
Also known as: Delwood Section 3, Delwood III
Why it's listed
Northeast of downtown Austin, this neighborhood of 77 two-story duplexes was built in 1948 as the Delwood III development. Each stucco-covered concrete block building holds two apartments, one per floor, of about 900 square feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Most have a freestanding concrete block garage behind, reached by an alley. The buildings share a boxy form but vary in roof shape and porch arrangement, giving them the look of minimal Colonial Revival houses. Original steel casement windows survive on most. Developer Bascom Giles, through Delwood Apartments, Inc., was responsible for construction. The area was listed because it shows how postwar housing for moderate-income families was produced through tract development, and it is the only concentration of duplex tract housing in Austin. Nearly all the buildings still serve as homes, with few major alterations, no teardowns and no vacant lots, so the district keeps a high level of integrity. Of 150 resources, 136 are counted as contributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is a wholly intact example of postwar housing built for moderate-income families, reflecting baby-boom era suburban development, federal homeownership incentives and mass-production tract building. It is described as the only concentration of duplex tract housing in Austin. It is significant at the local level in Community Planning and Development.
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 11000132, listed March 21, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded between Maplewood Ave and Kirkwood, Ashwood, and Wrightwood Rds, Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | March 21, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000132 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1948 |
| Architectural style | Stripped Colonial (minimal references to Colonial/Classical Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The duplexes continue in residential use, mostly as rental apartments, with some owner-occupied or converted to single-family homes; fifteen garages have been demolished and some deferred maintenance is noted. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 30.29291, -97.71415 (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 11000132.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999876
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.