Harrison, John S., House
Why it's listed
Set on a 12-acre bluff beside Cibolo Creek in Selma, Texas, this one-story house began in 1852 as a two-room limestone dwelling built for John S. Harrison, the town's first postmaster and a partner in the Harrison & McCulloch stage line. Around 1905 the Friesenhahn family hired a local carpenter to add wood-frame wings on both sides, a full-width porch with decorative trim, and additional rooms. The house is one of only two original structures left from early Selma. Four families lived here over its history, including German immigrant settlers, and the Friesenhahns farmed the land for more than ninety years. The site is now surrounded by subdivisions, a golf course and commercial development. The City of Selma bought it in 2001 with restoration in mind, but the building is vacant and in poor condition. It was listed for its link to Selma's earliest settlement and for its vernacular architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is one of only two surviving original structures from Selma's earliest settlement period. It is tied to John S. Harrison, Selma's first postmaster and a partner in a well-known Texas stage line. It also illustrates vernacular rural architecture and the area's agricultural heritage.
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 06000551, listed June 29, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14997 Evans Rd., Selma |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | June 29, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000551 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1852 -c.1905 |
| Architect / builder | Albrecht, Arnold (carpenter, c. .1905) |
| Architectural style | Folk Victorian, No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Selma, which bought it in 2001. The house is vacant, unsecured and deteriorating, with dilapidated outbuildings on the 12-acre site. |
| Acreage | 12.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.57805, -98.30575 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 06000551.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000147
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.