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National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Texas facts for kids

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Jefferson County Texas
Location of Jefferson County in Texas

Have you ever wondered about the old buildings and special places around you? Some places are so important that they are put on a special list called the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect buildings, sites, and objects that are important to history. In Jefferson County, Texas, there are many such amazing places!

This article will tell you about some of these cool historic spots in Jefferson County. You can even see where they are on a map by clicking "Map of all coordinates" if you want to explore!

Exploring Beaumont's Historic Gems

Beaumont is a big city in Jefferson County with many historic buildings. These places tell us stories about how the city grew and changed over time.

Downtown Beaumont's Old Buildings

The Beaumont Commercial District is a whole area downtown. It's filled with many old buildings that were once busy shops and offices. Imagine what it was like when people first built these places! This district was added to the list on April 14, 1978.

Downtownbeaumont
The historic downtown area of Beaumont.

Historic Homes in Beaumont

Beaumont has several beautiful old houses on the historic list.

  • The Holmes Duke House at 694 Forrest Street is one of them. It became historic on October 4, 1984.
  • The French Home Trading Post is another old house, located at 2995 French Road. It was listed way back on October 15, 1970.
2014-10-11 Beaumont, Tx., Historic homes 014
The historic French Home Trading Post.
  • The Hinchee House at 1814 Park Street joined the list on November 21, 1978.
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The Hinchee House in Beaumont.
  • Idle Hours is a unique name for a house at 1608 Orange Street. It was recognized on May 22, 1978.
Idle hours beaumont tx 2014
The historic Idle Hours house.
  • The McFaddin-Ward House at 1906 McFaddin Street is a very grand home. It became historic on January 25, 1971.
Mcfaddin ward house
The beautiful McFaddin-Ward House.
  • The Sanders House at 479 Pine is another important home. It was added to the list on December 13, 1978.
Sanders house beaumont tx 2014
The Sanders House.

Important Public Buildings in Beaumont

  • The Beaumont Y.M.C.A. building at 934 Calder Street was built for the Young Men's Christian Association. It became historic on March 30, 1979.
2014-10-10 Beaumont, Tx., YMCA Building
The old Beaumont Y.M.C.A. building.
  • The Jefferson County Courthouse is where important legal decisions are made. This impressive building at 1149 Pearl Street was listed on June 17, 1982.
Jefferson courthouse
The Jefferson County Courthouse.
  • The Jefferson Theatre at 345 Fannin Street is a beautiful old movie palace. It was added to the list on January 30, 1978. Imagine watching a movie there long ago!
Jefferson Theater
The historic Jefferson Theatre.
  • The Lamar State College of Technology Administration Building at 1026 Mirabeau Street is part of a college campus. It was recognized on November 27, 2015.
  • The Mildred Buildings are a group of buildings in the 1400 block of Calder Avenue. They were listed on December 1, 1978.
Mildred buildings apts beaumont tx 2014
The Mildred Buildings.
  • The Woman's Club of Beaumont Clubhouse at 575 Magnolia Avenue was a meeting place for women's groups. It became historic on August 16, 1994.
Womens club of beaumont clubhouse 2014
The Woman's Club of Beaumont Clubhouse.

Spindletop: A Big Oil Discovery

The Lucas Gusher, Spindletop Oil Field is a very famous spot south of Beaumont. On January 10, 1901, a huge amount of oil burst out of the ground here. This event changed Texas history forever! It was listed as a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966.

Lucas gusher
A famous photo of the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop.

Historic Places in Port Arthur

Port Arthur is another important city in Jefferson County with its own unique history.

Port Arthur's Special Buildings

  • Eddingston Court at 3300 Proctor Street is a historic district in Port Arthur. It was added to the list on October 22, 2004.
Eddingston court conch shell gate
The unique gate at Eddingston Court.
  • The First National Bank of Port Arthur at 501 Proctor Street was an important bank. Today, it houses the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce. It became historic on November 24, 2015.
  • The Gates Memorial Library at 317 Stilwell Boulevard is a beautiful old library building. It was listed on May 4, 1981.
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The historic Gates Memorial Library.
  • The Marconi Tower at Port Arthur College at 1500 Procter Street is a tall tower that was part of a college. It was recognized on August 5, 2008.
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The Marconi Tower at Port Arthur College.
  • The Pompeiian Villa at 1953 Lakeshore Drive is a unique house. It was listed on May 23, 1973.
Pompeiian Villa by Michael Reed fastturtles.org
The unique Pompeiian Villa.
  • The Port Arthur Federated Women's Clubhouse at 1924 Lakeshore Drive was a gathering place for women's groups. It became historic on July 18, 1985.
Port arthur federated womens clubhouse
The Port Arthur Federated Women's Clubhouse.
  • Rose Hill at 100 Woodworth Boulevard is another historic home in Port Arthur. It was added to the list on October 31, 1979.
Rose hill by Michael Reed fastturtles.org
The historic Rose Hill house.
  • The US Post Office and Federal Building at 500 Austin Avenue is an important government building. It was listed on May 12, 1986.
Port Arthur Postal and Federal building by MIchael Reed fastturtles.org
The US Post Office and Federal Building in Port Arthur.

The Rainbow Bridge

The Rainbow Bridge (also known as the Port Arthur-Orange Bridge) is a very cool bridge on TX 87. It connects Jefferson and Orange Counties. This bridge was listed on October 10, 1996.

RainbowBridge (Texas)
The impressive Rainbow Bridge.

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.