Ware, H. A. and Helena, House
Also known as: #20
Why it's listed
Built about 1895 at 401 North Pearl in Belton, this two-story frame house follows a vernacular L-plan but is richly decorated in the Eastlake and Italianate styles. Its hipped-and-gabled roof, projecting bracketed bays, ornate bargeboards, dentil trim, turned porch columns, spindle fretwork and perimeter stained-glass window panes make it a catalogue of late nineteenth-century ornament. It was built for H. A. and Helena Ware; Ware was a prominent banker and a major stockholder in the Belton Water Company. The house was among the first in town served by electricity. Over the years it housed students of Baylor College for Women and, during World War II, was remodeled into apartments for families from nearby Fort Hood. Although the interior has been partly modernized, most original woodwork survives. The house was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of a decorated L-plan house, a type once common in Texas but rarely surviving with its details intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of a popular late Victorian house type, significant in architecture under Criterion C. It shows how local builders applied fashionable decorative details to a standard vernacular L-plan. It also relates to Belton's growth during the cotton boom years around the turn of the century.
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 90001885, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 N. Pearl St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001885 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1895 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne-Eastlake; Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling. The interior is partially modernized, but most original woodwork is intact and the house is described as well preserved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.05980, -97.46340 (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 90001885.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000867
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.