Allen-Bell House
Why it's listed
Built between 1850 and 1859 at 1408 Church Street in Bastrop, this one-story frame house is a late Greek Revival design with an unusual surface treatment. Its walls are covered in vertical board and batten, with arch-like cuts in the fascia joining the battens at top and bottom. The east front has a central entrance under a portico carried on four square columns, with double doors, sidelights and a transom. Windows are nine-over-nine, and the hipped roof is covered with tin shingles. The house began as an L-shaped building and became U-shaped when a rear wing, once a barracks of the Bastrop Military Academy, was added. The house was occupied by 1859 by Major R. D. Allen, commandant of the academy, until 1866. In 1886 it was acquired by Henry N. Bell, a noted sheriff who served Bastrop County for more than twenty-one years. It remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a well-proportioned late Greek Revival house with unusual vertical board-and-batten sheathing, the battens joined at top and bottom by arch-like cuts in the fascia. It is also tied to the Bastrop Military Academy, since Major R. D. Allen, the academy's commandant, lived there from 1859 to 1866. Later it belonged to Henry N. Bell, a long-serving Bastrop County sheriff.
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 71000919, listed January 25, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1408 Church St., Bastrop |
|---|---|
| County | Bastrop County |
| Listed | January 25, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000919 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date c.1855) |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, on its original site, and in use as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 30.11521, -97.32194 (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 71000919.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001536
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.