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William Sidney Porter House
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The O. Henry Museum in 2007.
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| Location: | 409 East Fifth Street Austin, Texas, USA |
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| Built: | 1886 |
| Governing body: | City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73001979 |
| Added to NRHP: | June 18, 1973 |
The William Sidney Porter House or O. Henry House is a historic structure in Austin, Texas. William Sidney Porter, better known as the author O. Henry, lived there between 1893 and 1895. The Porter house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1973. The house is known today as the O. Henry Museum.
The cottage is a simplified version of the Eastlake Style of architecture. The house was built in 1886 and rented between 1893 and 1895 by William Sidney Porter, better known as the author O. Henry. Porter lived in the house with his wife, Athol, and daughter, Margaret, before they moved to Houston, where Porter began writing full time for the Houston Post.
The residence remained a rental property until 1930 when it was to be demolished to construct a warehouse. The house was donated to the City of Austin and moved from its original location at 308 East Fourth Street to its current location at 409 East Fifth Street. The house was restored and opened as a museum in 1934. The many period pieces on display include some of the Porter's furniture and personal belongings. The structure underwent further restoration in 1994-95 with a renewed roof and the replacement of four brick chimneys lost in 1934.