Dulaney, Joe E., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1875 at 311 S. Chestnut in McKinney, this one-and-a-half-story frame house was constructed for Joe E. Dulaney, a physician who moved to Texas from Tennessee soon after the Civil War. Its L-shaped plan, weatherboard siding, gable roof with composition shingles, and wood-sash windows are typical of a vernacular house type common in the late nineteenth century. A three-bay hip-roofed porch on the west elevation has turned-wood posts, squared balusters and jigsawn brackets, and pedimented architraves surround most door and window openings. The house is described as virtually unaltered and as one of the oldest L-plan houses in McKinney, and it is regarded as one of the city's finest examples of its type. It sits in a mostly residential area of late nineteenth-century houses, one block southeast of the new courthouse. Since 1972 it has served as a museum, and its condition is recorded as good.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as one of the oldest L-plan houses in McKinney and one of the city's finest examples of a common late-19th-century vernacular house type. It was built for Dulaney, a physician who came to Texas from Tennessee soon after the Civil War. The house remains virtually unaltered and has been a museum since 1972.
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 87001704, listed October 8, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 311 S. Chestnut, McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | October 8, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001704 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is stated as good, and the house has served as a museum since 1972. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.19483, -96.61309 (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 87001704.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001779
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.