{"nrhp_refnum":"86002537","name":"Matthews-Atwood House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"307 N. Sherman","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ennis","county":"Ellis County","state":"TX","lat":32.32841903100007,"lon":-96.63165037199997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story frame Neoclassical Revival house at 307 N. Sherman in Ennis, Ellis County, Texas, built in 1908 and designed by local architect Hix McCanless, with A. Babb of Lavaca County as contractor.","why_significant":"The house is significant for its architecture. Locally prominent architect Hix McCanless designed it, and it shows a convincing familiarity with the Neoclassical Revival style, making it a good local example. It is also associated with Pearl C. Matthews, co-owner of the Matthews Brothers Department Store, and later with the Atwood family.","narrative":"Built in 1908 at 307 N. Sherman in Ennis, this two-story frame house follows a four-square plan under a hip roof with gables. Weatherboard siding covers the walls, and the windows are double-hung wood sash. The entrance has a transom and sidelights. A pedimented two-story porch with fluted Ionic columns emphasizes the center bay, and a one-story hipped porch with similar columns runs across the south elevation. Pilasters mark the corners and finials cap the roof peaks. Outbuildings include a gazebo, a barn converted to a garage, and a greenhouse. Architect Hix McCanless, a locally prominent designer, planned the house, and A. Babb of Lavaca County served as contractor. Pearl C. Matthews, co-owner of the Matthews Brothers Department Store in McKinney, had it built soon after he and his brother opened a branch store in Ennis. He sold it to Harry Atwood, whose son Felix became a prominent Dallas attorney. The house is valued as a good local example of Neoclassical Revival design.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect Hix McCanless; contractor A. Babb of Lavaca Co.","architectural_style":"Neoclassical Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition is listed as good, and the present use is residential.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.030201-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/50/9690/40969050/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/86002537.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002537/8bbcdba19e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002537/8bbcdba19e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Michael Barera","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ennis_September_2017_16_(Matthews-Atwood_House).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Barera</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ennis_September_2017_16_(Matthews-Atwood_House).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969050","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107321253"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/ellis-county/matthews-atwood-house-86002537/"}