House at 806 South Dallas
Why it's listed
Built around 1895, this one-story frame house at 806 South Dallas in Ennis follows the L-plan, a form common across the region. It has weatherboard siding, a gabled roof covered with wood shingles, and wood double-hung windows with two-over-two lights. A hip-roofed porch with two bays sits within the front-projecting wing, supported by turned wood posts and decorated with jig-sawn brackets. Imbricated shingles fill the gable end. The simple massing is typical of traditional L-plan houses, with ornament concentrated in the porch and gable. The house was listed because it is one of the few intact local versions of this plan type. L-plan houses were built in great number and variety in Ennis until about the 1910s, but most local examples have since been destroyed or heavily altered. The form records that the house was moved to its current residential area south of the central business district. Its condition is fair and it remains a residence.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the few intact local examples of the L-plan, the most common regional plan type. Although many L-plan houses were built in Ennis through the 1910s, most local examples have been destroyed or considerably altered.
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 86002393, listed September 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 806 S. Dallas, Ennis |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002393 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | L-plan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is listed as fair; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.32139, -96.62228 (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 86002393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001952
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.