Walker, J. A., House and Rogers, R. B., House
701 and 707 Center Ave., Brownwood, TXThe J. A. Walker House at 701 Center and its neighbor, the R. B. Rogers House at 707 Center are perhaps Brownwood's finest and least altered examples of early twentieth-century, Colonial Revival style mansions. Located at the southwestern edge of the city's downtown, the houses are one of the few extant, majestic residences of a neighborhood that, at the turn of the century, housed many of the city's most prosperous citizens. J. A. Walker, a wealthy businessman and early benefactor to nearby Howard Payne University built his residence in 1901. Three years later, another prominent local businessman, R. B. Rogers, erected a house just south of the Walker House. When completed, these residences were two of the most impressive houses in the city. Today, they both stand in excellent condition and are vivid reminders of Brownwood's prosperity of the early 1900s.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.