Roy-Hardin House
Also known as: Millbrook
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 as a water mill and soon converted into a home, this two-story limestone building at 1803 Evergreen Avenue in south Austin is known as the Roy-Hardin House, or Millbrook. Rancher and stonemason W.C. Roy built it into a bluff above a wet-weather creek, then finished it as a residence when the stream proved too unreliable to power a mill. Its walls are two to three feet thick, and a geological fault forms a central interior wall. In 1939-40 university professor Ernest Hardin rebuilt the crumbling structure and added grillwork, doors, paneling, tile and marble salvaged from demolished buildings, including the Driskill Hotel and the Governor's Mansion. He also laid out terraces, stone paths and a footbridge in the garden. The property includes a carriage house and old stone walls that tradition attributes to Bouldin family slaves. The house was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967 and is valued for its vernacular construction and Hardin-era character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant locally for its vernacular stone construction and for the 1939-40 Hardin renovation, which added salvaged architectural elements from demolished buildings such as the Driskill Hotel and the Governor's Mansion. It also reflects the Bouldin and Roy family history and Hardin's garden landscape. The form states the 1939-40 alterations have greater significance and integrity than the 1895 appearance.
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 05000893, listed August 17, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1803 Evergreen Ave., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | August 17, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000893 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | W.C. Roy (builder, per his daughters); Ernest Hardin (1939-40 renovation and landscaping) |
| Architectural style | No style (vernacular stone building) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling with secondary structures and garden; the form describes it as privately owned and in residential use. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 30.24956, -97.76509 (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 05000893.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002743
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.