The Carrington House is Buda's oldest existing building on Main Street (1882) and is an example of the stylish residences of the late-Victorian era. Originally built as a hotel and dining room across from the train depot to serve travelers and businessmen, it was later used primarily as a residence. Today it has been adapted for use as professional offices and services.

Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Carrington, moved from their Austin home (now the main offices of the Texas Historical Commission at 1511 Colorado Street) to Du Pre soon after it was platted in 1881 and built this large, 2-story frame house. With permission from the Railroad Company, Mrs. Carrington apparently opened a hotel and dining room for passengers who were given "twenty minutes for supper" when the train stopped at the Buda depot (Schwartz in Stovall et al, 1986: 378). Remnants of the path between the hotel and train stop across Main Street were said to be still visible in the late 20th century.

According to local tradition, Mrs. Carrington hired several widows to cook for the passengers and the dining room became renowned for its delicious food. These women may have unknowingly played a major role in changing the name  of the town from Du Pre to Buda. In 1887, postal authorities found that a town named Du Pre already existed in East Texas and they insisted that the later Du Pre relinquish the name to reduce confusion in postal delivery. One explanation for choosing the name "Buda" is that it was a mispronunciation of the word viuda, which is Spanish for "widow". Mexican employees who worked on the railroad are said to have referred to the cooks "las viudas" and, due to their culinary talents and great popularity, the town was named Viuda, later Buda. The name change took effect on August 25, 1887. Competing theories exist for the origins of the name Buda, but this is one of the most accepted.