Wiley, Thomas W., House
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 105 S. Church Street in McKinney follows an L-plan, a vernacular form that was extremely popular in the city in the late 19th century. It has weatherboard siding, a gable roof, wood double-hung windows, and a single-door entrance with a transom. A three-bay shed-roofed porch on the west elevation has wood posts with jigsawn brackets, and the pedimented cornice and window surrounds carry jigsawn applique. Many local houses share the same plan, yet this one is regarded as among the most intact and best preserved, with molded porch capitals and pedimented surrounds singled out. Its first owner was Thomas Wiley, a physician who came to McKinney from Alabama in 1866. He later built another home in the 1890s, demolished in the 1970s, but kept this house until his death in the 1940s. City directories show it served as a rental property. The house remains residential and in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the city's most outstanding examples of the L-plan house, a very popular vernacular plan-type of late 19th-century McKinney. Although many houses of identical plan exist locally, this one is among the most intact and best preserved. Its pedimented window and door surrounds and porch supports with molded capitals are noted as especially notable.
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 87001756, listed October 8, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 105 S. Church, McKinney |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Listed | October 8, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001756 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan dwelling (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as excellent; present use residential, and city directories show it was a rent house during the 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.19671, -96.61712 (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 87001756.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001783
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.