Shotguns at 1203--1205 Bob Harrison
historic place
At 1203 and 1205 Bob Harrison Street in Austin, Travis County, stand two historic shotgun houses. These nearly identical structures date to the early twentieth century. They feature single-door central entrances and gabled roofs. Their construction uses board-and-batten walls and corrugated iron roofs. These homes are notable for their unusually large scale and Classic Revival architectural details at the eaves. They were moved to this location by 1935. Shotgun houses were a common residential building type across the American South from the late 1800s through the 1920s. Their design, with rooms arranged in a straight line and no hallways, allowed for efficient airflow, a practical feature in hot climates. This architectural style is believed to have roots in African and Caribbean building traditions. The Shotguns at 1203-1205 Bob Harrison are considered among the best examples of this architectural type remaining in East Austin. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1985. These buildings offer a glimpse into the architectural and social history of early twentieth-century Austin.