Braun, George, House
421 N. Austin Ave., Denison, TXConstructed in 1882 for one of the most prominent businessmen in De Denison, the George Braun House is an interesting example of the Italian Villa style as interpreted in Texas. Once among the showplaces of the city, the house at 421 North Austin Avenue is significant as the only extant example of the architectural style in the community, and the last opulent residence on North Austin Avenue.
George Braun moved to Denison from St. Louis in 1879 where he had been employed with the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company. It was here that he established the Depot Saloon near the prestigious Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Station. In addition to the saloon enterprise, he also established the Northern Lake Ice Company which led to the sale of fish, oysters, celery, and other rare foodstuffs almost unpurchasable on the sun-blistered Texas prairie.
Mr. Braun contracted with a local builder-architect, J. B. McDougle, to build a residence suitable for a man of his stature. The house was begun in 1882 and completed in 1883. Carpenters from his native Germany were summoned for the construction. The great houses of St. Louis having been designed in the fashionable Italian Villa style, a house of similar opulence was selected for the Braun family. Therefore, this is the only known example of this style in the city.
After his death in 1903, George Braun's wife Minna was the sole recipient of his estate. She lived in the house until 1919, at which time it was sold to Charles J. Harrison. Joseph G. Cain bought the house from C. J. Harrison in 1923 and lived there until 1952. Mr. Cain sold the house to his son-in-law Bryan Steen, who lived there until 1975, at which time it was sold to Joe Pollaro. Mr. Pollaro plans to restore the house and grounds to their former elegance, and maintain his office as well as his residence there.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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.