Giddings-Stone Mansion
Also known as: See Also:Giddings-Stone Mansion
Why it's listed
This brick mansion at 204 East Stone Street in Brenham, Texas, combines a Greek Revival plan with later Victorian-era additions. Jabez Giddings, a local financier, politician and railroad builder, laid its granite corner stone in 1860. The house has a central hall with two rooms on each side, walls of massive brick on an unusual dry-laid brick foundation, and a walnut staircase prefabricated in St. Louis. In 1894 his son-in-law, Heber Stone, remodeled it. He added plumbing, electrical wiring, a furnace, a two-story service ell, brick bay windows and double galleries with cement-coated columns shaped to look like Tuscan columns, all under architect A. O. Watson. The house is considered significant as an example of the transition between Greek Revival and Victorian styles and for its association with Giddings, a railroad pioneer. A descendant of the builder lived there until 1970. The Heritage Society of Washington County acquired it in 1975 to restore it as a community and arts center.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a unique architectural example of the transition from Greek Revival to Victorian motifs. It was also the home of Jabez Demming Giddings, a pioneer railroad builder and financier. His son-in-law Heber Stone, also a financier, enlarged and modernized it in 1894 with architect A. O. Watson.
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 76002080, listed June 24, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 204 E. Stone St., Brenham |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 24, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76002080 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Jabez Demming Giddings (builder); A. O. Watson (architect for 1894 alterations) |
| Architectural style | Transitional Greek Revival (modified), with Victorian-era additions |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Transportation, Politics/Government, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Last occupied in 1970 by a descendant of the builder; acquired in 1975 by the Heritage Society of Washington County, which was restoring it for use as a community and fine arts center. A 1960 hurricane caused extensive damage. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 30.16575, -96.41534 (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 76002080.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22073202
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.