Crain, W. H., House
Why it's listed
This two-story frame house at 508 E. Courthouse in Cuero was built in 1889 for W.H. Crain, a prominent local lawyer, with H.J. Huck & Co. as contractor. It follows a side-passage plan, with weatherboard siding, a hip roof covered in wood shingles, and double-hung windows. The main entrance has a transom and sidelights, and an L-shaped, two-story inset porch with box columns and square wooden balusters wraps the south and east sides. A lateral ell has twin hip roofs. Crain served as district attorney of the 23rd Judicial Court while living in Indianola, then moved to Cuero after the 1886 storm. He was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served until his death in 1896. The house is described as a rare example of a side-passage dwelling with Greek Revival details. It remained in the Crain family until recently. A 1986 survey recorded it as vacant, in good to fair condition, on a lot that includes much of its block.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites architecture, calling the house a rare example of a side-passage dwelling with Greek Revival details. It is also tied to W.H. Crain, a prominent local lawyer who served as district attorney of the 23rd Judicial Court and was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving until his death in 1896.
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 88001953, listed October 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 508 E. Courthouse, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001953 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Huck, H.J. & Co. (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Side-passage dwelling with Greek Revival details |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inventory form (1986) lists present use as vacant and condition as good to fair; the house stayed in the Crain family until recently. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.09030, -97.28540 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 88001953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000824
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.