Bates-Sheppard House
Why it's listed
Now serving as the Dewitt County Museum, this 1 1/2-story frame house at 312 E. Broadway in Cuero was built around 1886-1887 from lumber salvaged from the Henry Sheppard house in Indianola. It was erected for F.W. Bates, Sheppard's son-in-law, together with his wife and her brother. The house has a center passage one room deep, weatherboard siding, a gable roof, double-hung windows with shutters, square posts with molded caps, and pedimented surrounds at the windows and entry. Bates and partner Frank Hutchins operated a hardware store in the R.C. Warn Building, one of Cuero's largest and most successful. Bates served as alderman from 1887 to 1914 and became sole owner of the business in 1920, running it until his death in 1930. He was responsible for extensive alterations in 1925, including rear additions. The house stayed in the Bates-Sheppard family until 1968 and is recognized for its link to local commerce.
Significance in brief: The house was built mainly from lumber salvaged from the Henry Sheppard house in Indianola for F.W. Bates, Sheppard's son-in-law. Bates ran one of Cuero's largest hardware businesses and served as alderman from 1887 to 1914. The form lists commerce as its area of significance.
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 88001948, listed October 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 312 E. Broadway, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001948 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Contractor Huck, H.J. and Co. |
| Architectural style | Center-passage dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and used as the Dewitt County Museum; the east porch has been enclosed and 1925 additions were made at the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Terrell-Reuss Streets Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.09266, -97.28659 (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 88001948.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001872
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.