Tenney, Levi, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1859-60 on Pace Park Drive in Salado, this one-story limestone house rests on a raised cellar and has a rectangular plan. A gable roof with interior end chimneys covers it, and the central entrance has a single door with a transom and sidelights. Flat keystone arches top all the openings, and quoins mark the corners. Levi Tenney, the original owner, built it, and it served as the home of the first president of Salado College. Tenney came from New York state, was well educated, published books, and lived in Salado until 1865. The house is regarded as a good example of a modest Greek Revival residence with quality stonemasonry. The windows, roof and porch are not original, and mid-20th-century frame additions at the rear and east side are excavated into the hillside and not visible from the street. The house stands near Salado Creek and remains in residential use in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house was built as the home of the first president of Salado College. It is also considered a good example of a modest Greek Revival residence with quality stonemasonry. Tenney was a well-educated New Yorker and published author who lived in Salado until 1865.
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 83003086, listed April 5, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Pace Park Dr., Salado |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | April 5, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003086 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Levi Tenney, orig. owner |
| Architectural style | Stone vernacular, Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is listed as good; the house is still used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.94706, -97.53587 (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 83003086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001577
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.