National Register Listing

Barnes, Charles W., House

a.k.a. Site #22

1105 E. 12th St., Austin, TX

The Barnes House is a two-story, raised Victorian structure with a full basement. Portions of the basement walls are above ground because of the slope of the lot; they are constructed of random-sized pieces of limestone that have been lightly plastered or whitewashed and then scored. Basement windows are six-over-six and have arched tops.

A monumental entrance, which is located on the north facade, is slightly off-center. Wooden steps rise to a one-story projecting porch which is supported by two turned columns. The front entrance is a two-panel double door with arched upper panels. A transom is located above the door and a small second-story gable is centered over it.

A one-story bay which is supported by brick piers is located on the east side of the house and an interior flue rises from the standing-seam metal roof at the northeast corner. The metal roof is continuous and changes pitch at the point where the house and the rear, two-story porch meet. The porch is intact, but was altered when parts of it were enclosed on the east and west elevations.

Local significance of the building:
Architecture

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

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.