Brown, John R., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1905 for local businessman John R. Brown, this two-story frame house at 509 N. Church in McKinney reflects the architectural tastes of the town's prominent citizens in the early twentieth century. It has an asymmetrical plan, weatherboard siding, a hip roof with box eaves, and double-hung windows. A six-bay porch with Tuscan columns wraps the south and east sides, and an inset second-story porch has paired colonettes. Stained glass and a medallion within the pediment over the porch entry add detail. A Sullivanesque frieze runs around the house, a feature the nomination describes as rarely found in Texas. The house is regarded as one of McKinney's best examples of the Popular architecture that spread across the nation at the time, though it also shows Classical Revival touches. A garage from about 1905 stands at the rear of the lot. The property was found to be in good condition and remains in residential use.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of McKinney's best illustrations of an early 20th-century house, reflecting the nationally popular architectural forms that prominent local citizens adopted. It also shows some Classical Revival detailing. Its Sullivanesque frieze, which extends around the house, is noted as a rare detail in Texas.
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 87001666, listed October 8, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 509 N. Church, McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | October 8, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001666 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early 20th-century Popular architecture with Classical Revival detailing and a Sullivanesque frieze |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and in residential use; the form records a garage (c. 1905) at the rear of the lot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.20177, -96.61762 (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 87001666.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000749
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.