{"nrhp_refnum":"79002988","name":"Cartwright, Matthew, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"505 Griffith Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Terrell","county":"Kaufman County","state":"TX","lat":32.745752878000076,"lon":-96.28477296499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-04-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Agriculture","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-a-half-story frame house at 505 Griffith Avenue in Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas, begun in 1883 with two-tiered galleries added in 1894, on a city lot of about 1.2 acres.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as the most prominent house in Terrell and a distinctive example of symmetrical Victorian residential architecture blending Greek Revival, Italianate and Second Empire features. It reflects the wealth and ambition of a leading cattle and banking family after the Civil War. It has remained in the Cartwright family with many furnishings intact.","narrative":"Dominating a large lot at 505 Griffith Avenue in Terrell, this frame house was begun in 1883 for Matthew Cartwright, a rancher, cattleman, banker and landowner. Its central-hall, symmetrical plan carries a square Second Empire tower, mansard elements, large dormers with metal cresting and a two-story entry portico. In 1894 two-tiered galleries with fluted cypress Doric columns were added, attributed to architect Charles Alexander Gill, giving the house a Greek Revival flavor suited to the east Texas climate. Interior features include black walnut paneling, maple floors with walnut inlay, twelve-foot ceilings and eight fireplaces. Rear additions in 1922 and 1940 enlarged the house, while the front remains largely unaltered. The original iron fence survives. The property was recognized as the most prominent house in Terrell and as a representative of the ostentation of leading families building mansions after the Civil War. It has remained in the Cartwright family, with many furnishings intact.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Charles Alexander Gill - architect; M. H. Marshall - contractor (1883-4)","architectural_style":"Transitional Greek Revival and Second Empire (\"symmetrical Victorian\"), with Italianate characteristics","criteria":[],"status_note":"Stated to be in excellent condition and kept in good repair; used as a private residence and occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.785331-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/38/9727/40972738/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79002988.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002988/e0edc27124-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002988/e0edc27124-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CartwrightHouse1.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CartwrightHouse1.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972738","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Cartwright_House_(Terrell,_Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65965675"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/kaufman-county/cartwright-matthew-house-79002988/"}