Shipe, Col. Monroe M., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 3816 Avenue G in Austin, this two-story frame house was the home of Col. Monroe Martin Shipe, the founder of Hyde Park, the city's first planned residential suburb. Shipe, a railroad agent who went on to create Austin's first electric streetcar system, built the house with timbers from the old State Fairgrounds grandstand and plank fencing used for room partitions. The result mixes Swiss Chalet, Eastlake and Stick features, including a nearly flat double-pitched roof, deep eaves on large brackets and an octagonal gazebo. Shipe also covered the roofs with concrete, an unusual choice for a frame dwelling. Later owners added porches and chimneys, and by 1900 the house had reached its finished form. Alterations between 1945 and 1981 included asbestos siding and subdivision into rented rooms. The house is now being restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance as part of a wider neighborhood preservation effort.
Significance in brief: The house was among the first built in Hyde Park, Austin's first planned residential suburb, which Shipe founded. It is also an unusual blend of Eastlake, Stick and Swiss Chalet features, built partly with timbers and fencing reused from the old State Fairgrounds grandstand. Shipe's use of a concrete roof on a frame house was unusual for the period.
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 83003167, listed March 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3816 Ave. G, Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | March 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003167 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | M. M. Shipe (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian mix of Swiss Chalet, Eastlake and Stick styles |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence and undergoing restoration to its appearance around 1900; condition listed as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.10507, -97.70676 (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 83003167.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5141782
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.