{"nrhp_refnum":"92000210","name":"Finley, Eugene L., House","other_names":["1123"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"208 Merchant","address_restricted":false,"city":"Abilene","county":"Taylor County","state":"TX","lat":32.45183607700005,"lon":-99.74340445699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-03-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story frame house at 208 Merchant in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, built about 1910 (between 1907 and 1915), with a small contributing frame garage to the northwest.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is one of the most unusual dwellings in Abilene under Criterion C for architecture, because it combines Victorian era, Bungalow and Classical Revival features in a way found in no other house in the city. It was also the home of rancher Eugene L. Finley, one of several cattlemen who moved to Abilene because of the railroad.","narrative":"Built about 1910 on Merchant Street, a few blocks west of downtown Abilene, this one-story frame house blends several architectural traditions. Its asymmetrical plan and complex roof, topped by a bellcast hipped roof over the main section, recall Victorian era houses. Shed-roofed porches flank a front gable wing and carry short Ionic columns, a Classical Revival element that was only marginally popular in Abilene. The porches also have turned wood balusters and brick posts with cast stone caps, a detail common on some of the city's earliest bungalows. Fire insurance maps show the lot vacant in 1907 and the house in place by 1915. It was the home of rancher Eugene L. Finley, one of several cattlemen who moved to Abilene because of the railroad. The house was listed for its architecture, since no other house in the city combines these traditions so distinctively. A small frame garage on the property also contributes, and the house remains in good condition.","period_of_significance":"c. 1910","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Queen Anne; Bungalow; Classical Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Stated to be in good condition and to retain its integrity; still used as a single-dwelling residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.805209-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/9700/40970060/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/92000210.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000210/7b43b1378a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000210/7b43b1378a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Randydodd","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:208_Merchant.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Randydodd</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:208_Merchant.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970060","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107320219"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/taylor-county/finley-eugene-l-house-92000210/"}