Burrus-Finch House
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 405 N. Waddill in McKinney, this two-story brick house reflects the Prairie School style. It has a hip roof with box eaves, wood double-hung windows with six-over-one lights, continuous window groupings, and a broad porch with brick piers across the west side. Wide overhanging eaves emphasize the horizontal lines of the house, and a two-story garage/apartment with similar details sits behind it. J. Perry Burrus, founder of the Burrus Milling Co. and the Tex-O-Can Flour Mills, built the house. He was among McKinney's foremost business leaders of the early twentieth century and took part in nearly all of the town's major industrial concerns. In 1921 he sold the house to Henry A. Finch, who served as mayor and donated land for a city park. Finch's wife Fannie was the first woman on the local school board, and a school was named for her. The house is virtually unaltered and is regarded as one of the city's best Prairie School examples.
Significance in brief: It is considered one of McKinney's best and virtually unaltered examples of Prairie School architecture. It is also associated with J. Perry Burrus, founder of the Burrus Milling Co. and the Tex-O-Can Flour Mills, a leading business figure of early 20th-century McKinney.
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 87001671, listed June 27, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 405 N. Waddill, McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | June 27, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87001671 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; contractor Dewey May |
| Architectural style | Prairie style dwelling (Prairie School) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is listed as good and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.20086, -96.62687 (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 87001671.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000776
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.