Schlenker-Kolwes House
Also known as: Kolwes,H.F.,House; Steinbach,H.L.,House; #622
Why it's listed
This 1 1/2-story frame house at 1304 South Market in Brenham was built about 1883 for Samuel Schlenker and his bride, who later served as Washington County tax assessor for 22 years. It began as a vernacular L-plan dwelling with Italianate features such as arched windows with hood moldings, pedimented surrounds and a panelled bay window. H.F. Kolwes bought the property in 1919 and, after a visit to New York's Hudson River Valley, remodeled it around 1920. He added scrollwork bargeboards, spindlework, jigsawn brackets, turned finials and a full-width front porch with brick piers. The result is a Carpenter Gothic interpretation that is the only residential example of Gothic Revival architecture in Brenham and is rare in Texas. The house sits on a pier-and-beam foundation with weatherboard siding and an asphalt-shingled cross-gabled roof. A frame garage on the lot does not contribute to its historic character. The house remains in good condition and retains a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as the only example of Gothic Revival domestic architecture in Brenham, and it is rare in Texas. The Gothic Revival detailing was added about 1920 by H.F. Kolwes, who carefully reproduced the style, giving the house a much older look. It also belongs to the local context of community development and regional expansion, 1870-1941.
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 90000460, listed March 29, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1304 S. Market, Brenham |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | March 29, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000460 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1883, 1920 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition with a high degree of integrity; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.15748, -96.39397 (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 90000460.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002485
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.