Miller, J. Z., House
Also known as: #30
Why it's listed
Built around 1895, this two-story brick and limestone house at 804 North Penelope in Belton was designed by Dallas architect W. H. Harrell for Joseph Zacariah Miller, Sr. Miller was a Confederate colonel, a founder of the mercantile firm Miller, Chamberlain and Company, a founder of the Belton National Bank, and president of the Texas National Bankers Association from 1895 to 1900. The house has an asymmetrical plan, a hipped-and-gabled pressed metal roof with finials and cresting, limestone quoins, lintels and sills, fish scale shingles in the gables, and a wraparound porch with turned wood columns. Its design departs from ornate Queen Anne style toward classical formality, yet keeps some Victorian ornament. As one of the largest and most expensively detailed homes of Belton's cotton boom, and one of few brick houses of the 1890s there, it reflects the town's late nineteenth-century prosperity. It remains in very good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C in architecture as an example of the late Victorian blending of styles, with classical formality in its windows, massing and quoins alongside an asymmetrical plan and restrained Queen Anne detail. It is also one of the largest and most expensively detailed houses built during Belton's cotton boom. Its brick and limestone construction is unusual, since most 1890s Belton houses were wood frame.
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 90001892, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 804 N. Penelope St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001892 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1895 |
| Architect / builder | W. H. Harrell (architect, Dallas) |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good condition with minor interior and exterior alterations; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.06318, -97.45937 (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 90001892.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001553
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.