Robinson, Florence, Cottage
Also known as: Alumni Heritage House
Why it's listed
Built between 1939 and 1941 on the campus of Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas, this one-story red brick Ranch Style house first served as the residence of college president Peter C. Washington. Students and alumni constructed it, as they did many campus buildings. After Washington's administration ended in 1949 it became a guest house, and it was later named for Florence Robinson, a former teacher who donated $10,000 toward its repair in 1976. During that work the chimneys were removed and a screened porch was enclosed, but the original dimensions, doors and windows remain. Fire, sales and demolition claimed most of the early campus, leaving this cottage and the Emma B. Smith building as the survivors of the pre-war construction effort. The house was listed for its link to the history of a historically Black college and to Black higher education in east Texas. Today it houses returning alumni and visitors.
Significance in brief: It is one of only two surviving pre-World War II buildings on the campus of a historically Black college. It is tied to the college's history in Education and Ethnic Heritage/Black at the local level, and it is one of the few physical remnants of the early campus, built by students and alumni.
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 00000453, listed May 5, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Washington Place at Emma B. Smith Blvd., Jarvis Christian Colleg, Hawkins |
|---|---|
| County | Wood County |
| Listed | May 5, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000453 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1939-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Ranch Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition and used as an alumni center and guest house for returning alumni and visitors; no longer the president's residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.58705, -95.17963 (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 00000453.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28153616
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.