The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 77, July 1973 - April, 1974 Page: 156

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

ican history are reminded that state archives from Nuevo Le6n to Oaxaca
have rich but long-neglected depositories waiting to be mined.
California State University, Fullerton WARREN A. BECK
Historic Homes of San Augustine. Compiled by Anne Clark and edited by
Carolyn Allen. (Austin: San Augustine Historical Society and Encino
Press, 1972. Pp. vii+72. Illustrations, bibliography. $Io.)
This handsome coffee-table book is a photographic essay on thirty-six his-
toric buildings and monuments in San Augustine, Texas, and vicinity. Gen-
erally, each subject is accompanied by a brief history of ownership and
biographical information on the builders or principle occupants of the
structures, as well as a short paragraph on architectural features. Although
the title would indicate that the survey is restricted to dwellings, items on a
sculpture of James P. Henderson, several 1936 centennial markers, and
public buildings add interest to the work.
The quality of photography, reproduction, and graphics is very good.
Good camera angles and light conditions communicate beauty and charm.
Noteworthy features of most of the structures are emphasized by supple-
mentary detailed views, which add interest. The most disappointing aspect
of the book, however, is the small number of interior views. For example,
the beauty of the fireplaces in several houses is mentioned, but no photo-
graphs appear.
The extant buildings are presented in chronological order, beginning with
an 1826 settler building and terminating with a 1914 railway depot, which
has been moved from its original site and converted into a farmhouse. With
each subject appears the address, thus making the book useful as a guide.
The rich heritage of San Augustine's antebellum architecture comprises
about half the photographs. The significance of the Greek Revival style
houses is indicated by the fact that the 1934-1936 Historic American Build-
ings Survey recorded eight houses in San Augustine, with measured draw-
ings and/or photographs, all of which are now filed in the Library of Con-
gress; two 1839 dwellings-the Matthew Cartwright and Ezekiel Cullen
houses-have been entered into the National Register, thus establishing their
national importance. All of the buildings which have been officially recog-
nized are illustrated. While the most important buildings from the Greek
Revival period have been portrayed in other books, this work's inclusion of
structures from the latter part of the nineteenth century makes a helpful
contribution to the available published material on historic buildings of
Texas.

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