Veterninary Hospital
Also known as: Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 on the east side of the Prairie View A&M University campus, this one-story brick building served as a teaching facility and animal hospital for the school's veterinary training program. Architect Louis E. Fry, a Prairie View graduate and faculty member, designed it with modest Classical Revival touches, including cast stone quoins at the entry and a centered hipped dormer. Students, faculty and staff built it. Dr. E.B. Evans, the first African American veterinarian licensed in Texas, oversaw construction and later became the first president of Prairie View A&M University. The building is the campus's second oldest and one of two surviving Fry designs there. A 1972 renovation replaced doors and windows and reworked the interior, including a classroom and small-animal surgery area. A horse barn and large-animal quarantine area sit behind it. The hospital continues to serve the university and nearby communities, and it is named for longtime veterinary professor Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter.
Significance in brief: It is nominated at the state level for its role in vocational and veterinary education at a historically Black college and its link to Dr. E.B. Evans, the first African American veterinarian licensed in Texas. It is also one of two surviving campus works by African American architect Louis Fry, and it shows modest Classical Revival influence.
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 99000617, listed June 3, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E.M. Norris St., building #0517, Prairie View |
|---|---|
| County | Waller County |
| Listed | June 3, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000617 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925 - 1948 |
| Architect / builder | Fry, Louis E. (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as an education and research facility serving the university and surrounding communities; the form notes the building needs repairs and a planned renovation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.09352, -95.98401 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 99000617.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107317530
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.