Knudson, Christen and Johanne, Farm
Why it's listed
Perched on a gently rolling hill north of FM 219 and west of Turkey Creek, this farmhouse southwest of Clifton in Bosque County was home to Christen and Johanne Knudson, who arrived from Norway's settler community in 1868. The original building was a one-and-a-half-story limestone house with a two-room asymmetrical plan, a sleeping loft, a three-bay facade and a gable-end chimney. A frame extension later widened the front to five bays, and it is now covered in aluminum siding, with a large gabled porch at the center. Despite these changes, the stone core remains intact and the house is still lived in. The 1870 census and farm schedule record the family as established by then, so the stone section was probably built around that time. The house is valued as a good example of the asymmetrical stone house type and for its link to Norwegian settlement in the county. Only the residence is included, since the corn crib and wellhouse were altered.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that the early stone section of the house is significant for its association with the Norwegian settlers of Bosque County. It is also described as a good example of the asymmetrical, two-part type of stone house. The Knudsons arrived in 1868 and were established by the 1870 census.
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 83003109, listed July 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Clifton on FM 219, Clifton |
|---|---|
| County | Bosque County |
| Listed | July 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Asymmetrical two-room stone house type |
| Areas of significance | European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition and in active use as a private residence; additions and alterations have been made, but the original stone portion remains intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.75688, -97.63877 (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 83003109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000385
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.