Freeman Farm
Also known as: Kickapoo Farm; Freeman Plantation
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Why it's listed
Three miles southeast of Frankston, this 114-acre farm in Anderson County, Texas, grew from a cotton and corn plantation established by William F. Freeman, who arrived from Alabama around 1851. Builder Paul Heidelberg and his son constructed the c. 1854 Greek Revival farmhouse from locally hewn timber and bricks fired on site. The one-story frame house has a five-bay front, gable-end chimneys and a pedimented portico with two square Doric columns. A kitchen, smokehouse, brooder house and well house also survive. Freeman ran a cotton gin and syrup mill, served as Kickapoo postmaster and as a county commissioner, and held about 3,000 acres at his death in 1892. Descendants kept the farm going, moving from cotton to cattle leasing and hay in the 1950s. In 1996 the state certified it as operated by one family for over a century. It was listed for its agricultural history and its tie to the vanished town of Kickapoo.
Significance in brief: The farm is significant under Criterion A in the area of Agriculture at the local level. It began as a cotton and corn plantation developed by William F. Freeman, a farmer, postmaster and county commissioner, and it represents early Anglo settlement in Anderson County. It has stayed in the same family for more than 100 years and shifted from cotton to cattle and hay as regional agriculture changed. It is also a link to the vanished community of Kickapoo.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000656, listed June 12, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Co. Rd. 323, 3 mil3s SE. of Frankston, Frankston |
|---|---|
| County | Anderson County |
| Listed | June 12, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000656 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1854-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Heidelberg, Paul and son (builder) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling and agricultural property. Hay is grown and land is leased for grazing. The farmhouse has some alterations, and several original farm structures are gone. |
| Acreage | 114 |
| Coordinates | 31.99373, -95.49829 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000656.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999567
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.