House at 816 Cantrell
Why it's listed
Perched on a bluff southwest of Waxahachie's central business district, this house at 816 Cantrell overlooks the original town site. It is an I-house dated to about 1885, built as a frame dwelling with weatherboard siding, a gabled roof with box eaves, and wood double-hung windows with four-over-four lights. A six-bay shed-roofed porch on the south elevation has turned wood posts, turned balusters and jig-sawn brackets. A lateral wing carries a three-bay porch. The form describes the house as one of the oldest dwellings in Waxahachie. The one-story section on the east side is believed to be the original house, while the one-and-a-half-story section, with its triple-gabled facade and three cross gables, was probably added in the 1880s. The architect and builder are unknown. The property covers 1.76 acres, remains in residential use, and is listed in good condition. It was included among the Waxahachie multiple-resource group for its architectural value.
Significance in brief: The inventory form cites architecture as the basis for significance and describes the house as one of the oldest dwellings in Waxahachie. The one-story east section is believed to be the original house. The one-and-a-half-story section with its triple-gabled facade was probably built in the 1880s.
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 86002358, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 816 Cantrell, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002358 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | I-house |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 32.38201, -96.85471 (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 86002358.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001990
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.