Wroe-Bustin House
Also known as: Wroe,W.T. and Bursheba,House
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 west of downtown Austin, this two-story balloon-frame house at 506 Baylor Street faces the Caldwell Treaty Oak. It was built for saddlery merchant W.T. Wroe and his wife Bursheba from plans by architect William G. Eyers, with Sutor as builder. Four generations of the Bustin family lived there from 1918 to 1994. The house has Queen Anne details, including fishscale shingles and Eastlake-style gable ornament, and a wrap-around veranda on two levels. The classical columns were likely added later, and a pyramidal tower roof was removed in the 1940s. Much of the original interior fabric survives, including doors, trim, plaster and beaded board ceilings. A historic cistern and yard hydrant remain on the lot. The property was listed for architecture, as a local example of Queen Anne residential design that also records the neighborhood's change from estates to a middle-class suburb. It is being rehabilitated.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good, largely intact local example of Queen Anne residential architecture of the late 19th century, with a two-tiered wrap-around veranda. It also reflects the neighborhood's shift from large estates to a middle-class suburb to an older, no longer fashionable area.
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 96001626, listed January 25, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 506 Baylor St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | January 25, 1997 |
| Reference number | 96001626 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893 |
| Architect / builder | William G. Eyers, architect; William H. Sutor, builder |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Undergoing a sympathetic rehabilitation; current use listed as commerce/trade (business, warehouse). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Line Historic District |
| Coordinates | 30.27474, -97.75604 (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 96001626.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002395
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.