Kraitchar, Thomas, Jr. and Mary, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 on East Buck Street, just east of the Burleson County courthouse square in Caldwell, this cypress-framed house was reportedly a wedding gift from merchant Thomas Kraitchar, Sr. to his son Thomas Jr. and daughter-in-law Mary. It has a side-gabled roof, a central-hall plan, a full-width front porch with slender chamfered columns, and a symmetrical five-bay front with pedimented window trim and a strong cornice. Unlike many Victorian homes of the period, it uses very little applied ornament. The only major change was a bathroom added by enclosing part of a rear porch, probably in the 1920s. The family lived there until 1974, and the Burleson County Historical Society restored it in 1982 as a house museum. It is considered one of Caldwell's finest and best-preserved nineteenth-century residences, valued for its architecture and its high degree of integrity. The builder is unknown.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an especially fine and unusually well-preserved example of late 19th-century residential design in Caldwell. Its symmetrical form, restrained classical detailing and cypress construction set it apart from the town's more ornamented Victorian houses. It is nominated under Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the local level.
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 02000731, listed July 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 200 E. Buck St., Caldwell |
|---|---|
| County | Burleson County |
| Listed | July 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000731 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by the Kraitchar family until 1974, restored in 1982, and now used as a house museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.53361, -96.69116 (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 02000731.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q54871456
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.