House at 722 West Madison
Why it's listed
Built around 1890, this one-story frame house at 722 West Madison in Ennis follows the center-passage plan, a vernacular form common across the region in the late 19th century. The dwelling is one room deep and has weatherboard siding, a gable roof with composition shingles and box eaves, and wood double-hung windows with two-over-two lights. A single-door entrance opens within a one-bay porch with a shed roof and turned columns, and a service ell extends from the north side. The house was listed because it is one of the least altered examples of its type in Ennis. Windows flank the entry in place of sidelights, a variation on the fenestration pattern usually associated with this plan. The builder is unknown. The property occupies less than one acre in a semi-rural residential setting southeast of the central business district, remains in residential use, and is in fair condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its architecture as an unaltered, intact example of the center-passage dwelling, a common regional vernacular form of the late 19th century. It is described as one of the least altered examples in Ennis. Windows flanking the entry replace sidelights, a variation on the standard window pattern usually seen with this plan.
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 86002426, listed September 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 722 W. Madison, Ennis |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002426 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Center-passage dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.31664, -96.62877 (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 86002426.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001949
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.