{"nrhp_refnum":"98000694","name":"Denby Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"201 W. Crawford St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Palestine","county":"Anderson County","state":"TX","lat":31.763207575000024,"lon":-95.63256725299999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-06-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story, red-brick commercial building at 201 West Crawford Street in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas, built about 1935 and designed by local architect Theodore S. Maffitt.","why_significant":"It is nominated under Criterion C as an outstanding local example of a 2-part commercial block from the 1930s. Its restrained, simple design marks a shift away from Palestine's ornate turn-of-the-century storefronts. It is considered one of the best-preserved commercial properties downtown, and its 1980s restoration was among the most successful in the Main Street effort.","narrative":"Standing at the northwest corner of West Crawford and North Magnolia Streets in downtown Palestine, this three-story red-brick building was designed by local architect Theodore S. Maffitt and built about 1935. It follows the 2-part commercial block form, with large plate-glass display windows at street level and rows of pivoting metal-sash windows above. A brick parapet with a stepped central section crowns the facade. The building housed the Denby Furniture Store from construction through the 1950s. Later alterations, including an aluminum facade covering and stucco on the east side, were removed during restoration, recovering much of its original look. Its significance lies in architecture. The plain, horizontal design reflects a 1930s move away from the ornate Italianate, Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne storefronts of Palestine's earlier commercial district. It is regarded as one of the city's premier 1930s examples of this common building type and is still in use today.","period_of_significance":"c. 1935","architect_builder":"Maffitt, Theodore S.","architectural_style":"Other: 2-Part Commercial Block","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"In use and in good condition; the form notes a successful 1980s restoration and removal of later aluminum and stucco coverings.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.295732-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/58/9678/40967858/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/98000694.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000694/575a0dc81a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000694/575a0dc81a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Denby_Building_Palestine_Wiki_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</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:Denby_Building_Palestine_Wiki_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100007058","name":"Palestine New Town Commercial Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/palestine-new-town-commercial-historic-district-100007058/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40967858","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107321117"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/anderson-county/denby-building-98000694/"}