James House
Also known as: #7
Why it's listed
Built in the 1890s, this one-story wood frame house at 805 North Beal in Belton has an L-plan layout, a complex hip-and-gable roof, and a front gallery with turned posts and ornate jigsawn trim in the Eastlake style. It sits on a pier and beam foundation and is clad in horizontal V-groove siding, with decorative shingles in the gables, a small front dormer, metal roof cresting, and one-over-one windows with corbeled hood molds. A local contractor named Schmidt built it for the James family, who lived there for a time and later rented it out. The design was probably borrowed largely from pattern books, and its milled trim reflects what was locally available. The house was recognized for its architecture because it shows how national styles influenced local building in Belton during the cotton boom years around 1900. Few comparable cottages survive in such pristine condition, and the original wagon barn with clipped gables also remains.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact example of a late-Victorian cottage showing Queen Anne-Eastlake influence. It illustrates how nationally popular house styles reached Belton through pattern books and milled trim during the cotton boom years around 1900. Few small Eastlake-influenced houses of this kind survive in such pristine 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 90001873, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 805 N. Beal St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001873 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1895 |
| Architect / builder | Schmidt, Builder |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne-Eastlake |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as a single dwelling; the form describes the house and its carriage house as intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.06350, -97.45622 (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 90001873.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.