House at 402 N. East St.
Also known as: #13
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in the 1870s, this one-story L-plan house on North East Street in Belton is a small vernacular dwelling decorated with unusually refined Italianate details. Its load-bearing brick walls have since been plastered and painted, and the gable roof carries cornice returns and ornate scrolled double brackets. A single window in the front gable is topped by a bell-curved metal hood with fretwork brackets. The front gallery, with simple wood columns, appears to be a twentieth-century replacement. The builder and early owners are unknown. The house matters because such elegant detailing is rarely found on so modest a form, and because brick did not become common in Belton until around 1890. It is one of the city's older surviving houses and a rare local example of Italianate domestic architecture. Although it is in poor condition and has lost some original elements, it remains substantially intact. It was recognized for its architecture within the context of Belton's growth before the railroads arrived.
Significance in brief: The house is an early Belton example of a small vernacular dwelling with high-style Italianate details such as paired scrolled brackets and a concave window hood. It is one of the older surviving houses in the city and uncommon for its brick construction, since brick was not widely used in Belton until about 1890. It is considered eligible for architecture despite alterations and poor condition.
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 90001878, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 402 N. East St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001878 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1875 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in poor condition with significant alterations, including plastered brick and changed interior details; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.05906, -97.46195 (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 90001878.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000881
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.