House at 1170 San Bernard Street
Also known as: Site #20
Why it's listed
Standing at 1170 San Bernard Street in East Austin, this one-story cottage dates to about 1905 and reflects late Victorian domestic design on a modest scale. It has a hipped roof with two projecting gabled bays, one facing Hackberry Street to the south and one facing San Bernard Street to the east. A wraparound porch runs between the bays and is cut at a 45-degree angle at the southeast corner. Turned columns carry brackets, and spindles and turned balusters span the spaces between them. Two four-panel doors with transoms face San Bernard Street. The exact construction date is uncertain because the lot has held more than one house, but the architectural detailing suggests the house was built soon after 1900. The interior was renovated around 1983, and the house remains in excellent condition and in residential use. It was recognized for architecture as a largely intact example of a small vernacular late Victorian cottage.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that the house is an excellent, largely intact example of a small, vernacular, late Victorian cottage. Its construction date cannot be fixed precisely because the lot held more than one house, but its architectural detailing points to soon after 1900. It was carefully renovated after 1980.
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 85002269, listed September 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1170 San Bernard St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | September 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002269 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian cottage (vernacular) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is excellent; interior renovated ca. 1983; current use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.27030, -97.72616 (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 85002269.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002332
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.