Nenney, J. P., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1875 by lumberman James P. Nenney for his family, this two-story frame house at 601 N. Church in McKinney is an L-plan dwelling with weatherboard siding, a hip roof with wide overhanging eaves, and double-hung windows. Arched windows are framed by turned surrounds topped with jigsawn hood moldings, which the nomination calls especially noteworthy. A two-story inset porch with seven bays wraps the south and east sides. Its balusters, columns and entry date from an early twentieth-century remodeling, with porch changes completed in the 1920s. The house is listed as a rare example of residential Victorian Italianate architecture in McKinney. Nenney was one of the city's earliest lumbermen, in business by 1885, and sold his interests by 1890. His descendants kept the house until the 1980s. The wood is believed to have been bought in New Orleans and shipped via Jefferson, though this is unconfirmed. The house remains residential and in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as a rare example of residential Victorian Italianate architecture in McKinney. Its finely crafted jigsawn hood moldings over arched windows are singled out as especially noteworthy. The commercial significance of Nenney's lumber business was removed from the resubmitted nomination.
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 87001746, listed June 27, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 601 N. Church, McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | June 27, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87001746 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Nenney Lumber Co. (?) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.20213, -96.61761 (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 87001746.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000783
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.