Alderman, G. H., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 317 E. Marvin in Waxahachie, this modified L-plan house is a one-story frame dwelling with weatherboard siding. A hip roof with gables covers the main block, and a seven-bay porch on the south elevation has turned wood posts, jig-sawn brackets and a spindle frieze. Windows are double-hung with one-over-one lights, and many hold small panes of colored glass in the upper sash. The facade gable end is decorated, and a brick chimney rises from the roof. The house was listed for its architecture. It keeps most of its late nineteenth-century detailing and massing, which makes it one of the best local examples of the L-plan type. Victorian builders favored that plan, and it was the most common regional plan from roughly 1880 to 1910. The house was probably built for insurance agent G. H. Alderman, who owned it until 1919. It is recorded as having been moved to its present residential area north of the central business district, and it remains in good condition and in residential use.
Significance in brief: The house keeps most of its late nineteenth-century detailing and massing, making it one of the best local examples of the L-plan house type. The L-plan was favored by Victorian builders and was the most common regional plan type from about 1880 to 1910. The evaluation notes a high degree of integrity.
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 86002446, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 317 E. Marvin, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002446 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is listed as good, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.94321, -96.85799 (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 86002446.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002000
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.