House at 320 East Marvin
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 320 East Marvin in Waxahachie dates to about 1895 and follows a modified L-plan. It has weatherboard siding, a hip roof with gables and composition shingles, and wood double-hung windows with one-over-one lights. The single-door main entrance has a transom. A five-bay hip-roofed porch on the east elevation has turned wood posts and squared wood balusters, with a pedimented entry bay. A gabled dormer, a curvilinear porch and an interior brick chimney complete the house. The building has been moved and now stands in a residential area northeast of the central business district. It was listed for its architecture. The modified L-plan is described as a Victorian elaboration of the two-room, center-passage plan and was the most common local plan type from the 1880s to 1910. The house is considered a well executed, intact example of that plan, with features typical of this common regional house form. It remains in residential use and is in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites architectural significance. The modified L-plan house is described as a Victorian elaboration of the two-room, center-passage plan, the most common local plan type from the 1880s until 1910. This house is called a well executed and intact example of that plan type.
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 86002527, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 320 E. Marvin, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002527 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Modified L-plan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and in residential use; the house has been moved from its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.39061, -96.84048 (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 86002527.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000596
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.