{"nrhp_refnum":"83003103","name":"Finstad, Ole and Elizabeth, Homesite","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"SW of Clifton on FM 219","address_restricted":false,"city":"Clifton","county":"Bosque County","state":"TX","lat":31.731714235000027,"lon":-97.72685485299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-07-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["European","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The ruins of a one-room limestone house on FM 219, about 9.5 miles southwest of Clifton in Bosque County, Texas, in the Neils Creek valley. It was built by Ole and Elizabeth Finstad in the mid to late 19th century.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the site is significant for its archeological potential. Historic artifacts, including pot shards probably from the early period of occupation, are visible on the surface. The house has been abandoned for about 75 years, and its archeological potential appears to be high.","narrative":"Beside FM 219 southwest of Clifton, in the Neils Creek valley, lie the ruins of a one-room stone house built by Ole and Elizabeth Finstad, Norwegian settlers in Bosque County, sometime in the mid to late 19th century. Limestone blocks laid with mud mortar and rubble-stone pointing form the walls, though several have collapsed and little of the original layout can be read. A small attic-level window in the east wall survives, along with an exterior stone chimney whose hearth still has a fine segmental arch. No outbuildings have been found, but pot shards near the house probably date to the early years of occupation. The house has been abandoned for roughly 75 years. It was listed mainly for its archeological value, since artifacts on the surface suggest that the site holds high potential for future study of early Norwegian settlement in the area. The land is now used for agriculture.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Ole and Elizabeth Finstad","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Ruins, with several walls collapsed; used for agriculture and listed as unoccupied. Abandoned for about 75 years.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.879699-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/9683/40968360/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/83003103.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968360","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001640"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bosque-county/finstad-ole-and-elizabeth-homesite-83003103/"}