Faires-Bell House
Why it's listed
Built about 1854 for John Faires, a blacksmith, this one-story frame house is the oldest surviving structure in McKinney, Texas. It has a center-passage plan, weatherboard siding, a gable roof with box eaves, six-over-six wood windows, and a single-door entrance with transom and sidelights. A gabled entry portico and a shed-roofed porch with squared wood balusters and columns face north, and an exterior brick chimney and a rear ell complete the form. The house originally stood at 305 S. Tennessee and faced west. In 1973 it was moved about one block southeast to make way for a new county courthouse, and it now faces north in a mostly residential area of late 19th-century houses. It is the city's only example of Greek Revival architecture, a style popular in Texas during the mid-19th century. It was given to the Women's Guild in 1975, and the guild operates it as a museum.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest extant structure in McKinney and the city's only example of Greek Revival architecture. Its pedimented portico, center-passage plan and symmetrical composition illustrate a style popular in Texas in the mid-19th century. The reviewer judged the new setting, a mostly residential area of late 19th-century houses, appropriate despite the move.
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 87001706, listed October 8, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S side Chestnut Sq., McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | October 8, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001706 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival detailing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; moved in 1973 and given to the Women's Guild in 1975, which uses it as a museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.19464, -96.61288 (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 87001706.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107321835
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.