Farris, J. B., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 for J.B. Farris, this two-story frame house at 502 N. Gonzales in Cuero follows an L-plan layout, a house form widely used in the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most Cuero L-plan houses have only one story, which makes this two-story example stand out. The walls are covered in drop siding beneath a gable roof with kicked eaves in the gable ends. Windows are wood-sash double-hung units with two-over-two lights. A three-bay, two-story porch with a shed roof, chamfered wood posts and turned-wood balusters fronts the east side, and a double-door entry with a transom opens onto the porch's upper level. A two-story polygonal bay projects on the south side. Tax rolls show the house stayed with the Farris family until 1914, and by 1915 it belonged to G.P. Box. It remains in residential use and is in good condition, and it was recognized for its architecture as part of a survey of Cuero's historic resources.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a fine example of a two-story L-plan dwelling, a form common in Cuero's late 19th- and early 20th-century residences, though most examples are only one story. It was built for J.B. Farris and stayed in the family until 1914, according to tax rolls.
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 88001960, listed October 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 502 N. Gonzales, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001960 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is described as good, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Terrell-Reuss Streets Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.09359, -97.28863 (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 88001960.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001899
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.