Berry, J. S., House
Why it's listed
Located at 201 East University in Waxahachie, this two-story frame house dates to about 1900. It has weatherboard siding, a hip roof with gables, wood double-hung windows, and a main entrance with a transom and sidelights. A three-bay porch on the east side carries Doric columns and squared wood balusters, and a steeply pitched roof extends to form the porch. The massing is rectangular and symmetrical, reinforced by paired pediments and a center dormer. Slender, classically influenced columns appear on both the first- and second-story porches. The house was listed as a fine local example of conservative vernacular building, where traditional forms were dressed in fashionable details, here Neoclassical Revival porch features. The earliest documented owner, Dr. J. S. Berry, a physician, lived there by 1907. Dr. C. C. Cooke bought it in 1920, and by the late 1930s William C. Evetts, the city fire chief, owned it. The house is recorded as moved and remains in residential use in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine local example of conservative vernacular architecture, in which local builders kept traditional forms but added fashionable details. Its common regional plan type was updated with Neoclassical Revival porch details. It is also tied to early occupants, including a physician and a city fire chief.
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 86002386, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 201 E. University, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002386 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Local vernacular with Neoclassical Revival porch details |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in residential use; the form records it as moved from its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.39950, -96.85409 (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 86002386.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000645
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.