Baggett, Ele, House
Also known as: #17
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 at 1019 North Main in Belton, this 2 1/2-story frame house follows a modified L-plan with a projecting gable, a chamfered bay and a square corner tower. Weatherboard siding, decorative shingles, milled trim, art glass windows and sunburst or fishscale gable ornament mark it as Queen Anne in style. Farmer and rancher Ele Baggett, son of early Bell County settler Silas Baggett, had it built after the two men made their fortunes in post-Civil War cattle drives. Father and son built mirror-image houses facing each other across North Main Street, and Ele Baggett lived in his until 1900. The pair is considered significant as examples of the Queen Anne style favored by the prosperous middle class in the late 19th century, and the house reflects Belton's ranching-based wealth. Much of its ornament was stripped in the 1930s and replaced during a restoration in the early 1980s. It remains a single-family home in very good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as one half of a pair of mirror-image Queen Anne houses facing each other across North Main Street. It also reflects Belton's prosperity from the post-Civil War cattle boom. It may have been based on a pattern-book or mass-marketed design.
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 90001882, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1019 N. Main St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001882 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Ele Baggett) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in the early 1980s and described as in very good condition; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.06607, -97.45995 (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 90001882.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.