House at 712 East Marvin

Built around 1890, this one-story frame house on East Marvin Street in Waxahachie follows a U-plan, a Victorian variation on the earlier L-plan dwelling. Two wings project toward the front, and a three-bay porch with turned wood posts and jig-sawn brackets spans the opening between them. Weatherboard siding covers the walls, imbricated shingles decorate the gable ends, and the gable roof carries composition shingles. Windows are wood sash, double-hung, with two-over-two lights, and three single-door entries have transoms. An interior brick chimney completes the form. The U-plan appeared in the late nineteenth century, when picturesque forms were favored by builders, and it was built in limited numbers. This house is one of only two unaltered examples recorded in the city, which is the main reason it was listed. Its original owner is unknown, but attorney E. P. Anderson, Jr. owned it by 1916 and lived there until his death in 1923. The property remains residential and in good condition.