Moreland, Charles B., House
Also known as: Site #4; Moreland House
Why it's listed
Built in 1898 at 1301 East 1st Street in Austin, this two-story wood-frame house is a late Victorian residence with a two-story gallery. The front door opens onto a porch and is offset from the entrance pavilion, with a matching door on the second-floor porch. Fish-scale shingles fill the gable ends and run in a band above the first-floor windows, while spindles, drops and elaborate barge trim decorate the gables. Beaded siding and turned balusters, columns and spindles echo materials found on other East Austin buildings of the period. Contractor C. W. Moore built it from plans by Austin architect J. J. Byrdson, at a cost of $1,939. Charles B. Moreland, who ran a wholesale and retail wallpaper, paint and painters' supply business on Congress Avenue, did the painting and papering himself. The house is considered one of the most ornate and intact Victorian homes in East Austin, and it was renovated between 1980 and 1984.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the most ornate, visually impressive and architecturally intact Victorian residences in East Austin. It displays a wide range of textures and carpentry details using materials available locally around 1900. It is also tied to Moreland, a wallpaper and paint dealer who founded a Congress Avenue firm.
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 85002276, listed September 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1301 E. 1st St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | September 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002276 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Contractor C. W. Moore; plans and specifications by J. J. Byrdson |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition listed as excellent; no apparent alterations, renovated between 1980 and 1984. Original use was residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.26123, -97.73126 (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 85002276.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.