House at 803 Cantrell
Why it's listed
Built around 1895, this one-story frame house at 803 Cantrell in Waxahachie follows the L-plan form, a vernacular house type that was built in great numbers in the city during the late nineteenth century. It has weatherboard siding, a hip roof with gables and box eaves, and wood double-hung windows with two-over-two lights. A three-bay porch with turned wood posts and jig-sawn brackets sits within the front-projecting wing, and the single-door main entrance has a transom. An integral rear ell with a hipped roof is an unusual feature of an otherwise traditional form. Classical detailing surrounds the doors and windows, and intricate jig-sawn work on the bargeboard and porch frieze draws on natural motifs. The house has been moved and is in fair condition, still in residential use. It was listed because it is considered one of the city's best and most intact examples of its type, with a high degree of integrity that makes it architecturally important locally.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the city's best and most intact examples of an L-plan dwelling, a vernacular house type built in great numbers in Waxahachie in the late nineteenth century. The reviewer found it architecturally important in the local context and noted its high degree of integrity.
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 86002353, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 803 Cantrell, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002353 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition listed as fair; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.38114, -96.85665 (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 86002353.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001991
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.