{"nrhp_refnum":"90001888","name":"Naismith, Robert, House","other_names":["#26"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"440 N. Penelope St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Belton","county":"Bell County","state":"TX","lat":31.06012517700003,"lon":-97.46046521499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-12-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story, center-passage frame house with modest Eastlake detailing at 440 North Penelope in Belton, Bell County, Texas, built in 1876 and probably first built for Primus Crawford.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a representative example of the evolutionary center-passage house common in Central Texas in the mid- to late-19th century. It shows how a vernacular house form was adapted with Eastlake decoration that later became widely available. It also relates to Belton's growth during the last years of the cattle boom, and it retains most of its original features.","narrative":"Built in 1876 at 440 North Penelope in Belton, this one-story frame house follows the center-passage plan common across Central Texas in the mid- to late-19th century. It was probably built for Primus Crawford. Weatherboard siding covers the walls, and a side-gabled roof with asphalt shingles sits above a pier-and-beam foundation with a brick skirt. A hipped porch spans the facade, supported by turned Eastlake-style columns with spindle lattice and brackets. The centered entry has a small transom, and the 2/2 double-hung windows have simple hood molds. In the late 19th century the house was bought by Robert Naismith, a Scottish-born man who moved to Belton around 1892 and founded the Central Manufacturing Company, a large machine and blacksmith shop. His family and descendants occupied the house for many years. It was listed for its architecture, as a good surviving example of a vernacular house form adapted with Eastlake decoration, and it keeps most of its original features despite a replaced porch deck.","period_of_significance":"1876","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Other: center-passage vernacular (with modest Eastlake detailing)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as a single-family dwelling; the original porch deck has been replaced by a concrete slab and steps.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.628606-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/5/9682/40968205/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/90001888.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968205","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000870"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bell-county/naismith-robert-house-90001888/"}