House at 501 North Grand
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1895, this two-story frame house at 501 North Grand in Waxahachie follows a modified L-plan. It has weatherboard siding, a hip roof with wood-shingled gables, and double-hung wood windows with one-over-one lights. A multi-bay porch wraps around the south and east sides, with turned wood posts and jig-sawn brackets. A pedimented porch bay at the corner of the facade stands in for the tower found on more elaborate examples of the type. Jig-sawn corner brackets and bargeboards add detail, and the irregular massing and plan create a picturesque effect. The house has been moved and now stands in a residential area at the far west end of the city. It was listed because it is regarded as one of Waxahachie's finest examples of the modified L-plan, showing how Victorian style influenced a traditional and widely built house form. It has retained much of its original fabric and remains in good condition as a residence.
Significance in brief: The form calls it one of the city's finest examples of the modified L-plan house type. The plan shows Victorian influence on the traditional, widely built L-plan dwelling, and the irregular form appealed to late nineteenth-century builders. The house has kept much of its original fabric.
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 86002408, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 501 N. Grand, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002408 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Modified L-plan |
| 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. The house has been moved from its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.40265, -96.85890 (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 86002408.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001963
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.