Bellville in Austin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
E.O. Finn Building
Photographed By James Hulse, September 19, 2020
1. E.O. Finn Building Marker
Situated on land originally granted by the Mexican Government to Austin County pioneer John Nichols. This Vernacular Italianate commercial building was constructed in 1896 by E. Oscar Finn and John Thomas Colleton. E. O. Finn (1866-1945) a native of Germany, first came to this country with his parents in 1869. A master mechanic and a smithy of buggies and wagons, Finn built this structure to serve as a sales shop for his products on the first floor with living quarters for his family on the upper story. Drinking water was obtained from a well located inside the building on the first floor, while the remainder of the water supply was piped into the upstairs bathroom from a metal-lined indoor cistern that collected rainwater from the roof. The structure remained in the Finn family for over seventy-five years.
The E. O. Finn Building, or Carriage House as it is also known, features paired Italianate windows, cast iron columns, and a hand operated dumbwaiter which was made by the Energy Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia and runs from the basement to the first and second stories.
The structure is a reminder of Bellville's
this page online
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected 1982 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6349.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 29° 56.964′ N, 96° 15.306′ W. Marker is in Bellville, Texas, in Austin County. Marker is at the intersection of East Main Street (State Highway 36) and South Harris Street, on the left when traveling west on East Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 E Main Street, Bellville TX 77418, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First National Bank of Bellville (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Austin County Jail (about 800 feet away); The Harigel House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bellville (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of First Bellville Masonic Lodge Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Original Site of St. Mary's Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Early History of Bellville Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Michael Robert Pilley (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellville.
Photographed By James Hulse, September 19, 2020
2. E.O. Finn Building and Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, September 19, 2020
3. Side view of the E.O. Finn Building and Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, September 19, 2020
4. Back door to E.O. Finn Building
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 182 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
