William Sidney Porter House

The William Sidney Porter House is a residential building in the Stick style located in downtown Austin, Texas, featuring decorative wooden trim on its exterior and interior spaces. The structure contains several rooms furnished with household items and objects from the late 1800s that illustrate how people lived during that period.

The house was built in the early 1890s and served as the residence of William Sidney Porter from 1893 to 1895 before he moved to Houston. This period was when Porter began establishing himself as a writer, eventually becoming known by the pen name O. Henry.

The rooms contain furniture and personal belongings arranged as they were during O. Henry's time, showing how the writer lived and worked. Walking through the space reveals the everyday details of his life in this period.

The house is open to the public and welcomes visitors to explore the rooms and learn about the period through the objects on display. Wear comfortable shoes since you will walk through multiple rooms with period details that reward careful observation.

The house hosts an annual wordplay competition in May where people showcase their skill with jokes and clever language tricks. This event celebrates O. Henry's talent for witty and inventive use of words in his short stories.

Location: Texas

Location: Austin

Architectural style: Stick style

Address: 409 E. 5th S.

GPS coordinates: 30.26569,-97.73911

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:27