Oliphant-Walker House
Why it's listed
Standing at the northwest corner of Avenue C and 39th Street in Austin's Hyde Park, this 2 1/2-story house was built in 1894 for photographer William Jones Oliphant and his wife Alice. Builder Elling A. Ellingson completed it under a contract that called for quality lumber, California weatherboarding and a shingle roof. Its modified L-plan form carries a steeply pitched hipped roof, a front-gabled wing with cutaway corners, imbricated shingles, decorative bargeboards and two porches with spindled balconies. It was among the large homes required by deed restrictions in Hyde Park's earliest development, meant to reassure investors about the new subdivision. Later, Anna E. Walker owned the house from 1914 until her death in 1948. She helped organize the Texas Woman Suffrage Association and served as its state treasurer, and her husband Lewis headed a railroad based in Oklahoma. Renovations began in 1974, and the house received local historic zoning in 1978.
Significance in brief: The house is a fine, highly crafted example of Queen Anne style and one of the oldest dwellings in Hyde Park. It reflects the early development period, when deed restrictions required large, costly homes near trolley lines. It was also the home of Anna E. Walker, who helped organize the Texas Woman Suffrage Association and served as its state treasurer.
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 90001177, listed August 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3900 Ave. C, Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | August 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001177 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894 (architecture) and 1914-1940 (Criterion B), as amended by the Keeper; the original form stated 1936 and 1906-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Ellingson, E.A. (builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; vernacular, modified L-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current use is a single dwelling. The house was renovated after 1974 and zoned Historic by the City of Austin in 1978. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.30304, -97.73468 (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 90001177.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7086949
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.