Red House
Why it's listed
Built in 1852 on a rise in the rolling farmland near Gay Hill, Texas, this two-story frame house overlooks the Yegua Valley. It is a late Greek Revival design with board-and-batten siding, an off-center chimney and a gable roof. The main entrance is on the second floor, treated as a piano nobile, and is reached by a full flight of stairs rising to a raised porch on brick piers. Inside are four large rooms, each with a big fireplace, and a one-room outbuilding stands behind. Dr. George Clark Red, a physician and educator, built the house after buying a tract next to the Live Oak Seminary campus. He and his wife Rebecca, also a teacher, lived there until 1876, when they moved to Austin and she opened the Stuart Seminary. A descendant bought and restored the homestead in 1955, and it became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965. The house was listed for its architecture and its educational associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an unusual late Greek Revival house with a second story treated as a piano nobile, reached by a full flight of stairs to a raised porch. Its proportions are described as handsomely related and individualistic. It is also tied to Colonel George Clark Red, a physician and educator, and his wife Rebecca Stuart Red, a teacher who founded Stuart Seminary in Austin.
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 71000972, listed January 25, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Gay Hill via TX 36 and FM 390, Gay Hill |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | January 25, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000972 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (1852) |
| Architect / builder | Colonel George Clark Red (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, unaltered and on its original site. Restored by a descendant after 1955, with preservation work noted in progress at nomination. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 30.28230, -96.45781 (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 71000972.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002517
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.