McCartney House
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 603 W. Marvin in Waxahachie, this two-and-a-half-story house has a brick veneer over a frame structure and a low-pitched hipped roof covered in tile. It was designed by Dallas architect C. D. Hill, who also designed the Rogers Hotel and Central Presbyterian Church. Merchant E. C. McCartney had it built, and in 1921 C. L. Penn bought it and lived there until the 1940s. The house is described as one of the city's most architecturally significant residences of the early twentieth century. Its Prairie-style features include broad eaves, unroofed terraces, multiple roof planes, horizontal proportions, continuous porch coping, decorative urns and flower boxes. The tile roof and paired cornice brackets refer to southwestern regionalism. Other details include a porte cochere, a hip-roofed porch with brick piers, a main entrance with transom and sidelights, and both interior and exterior brick chimneys. The survey recorded it in good condition and still used as a residence.
Significance in brief: The inventory form describes it as one of the city's most architecturally significant residences of the early twentieth century. It combines Prairie-style and bungalow features with tile roofing and brackets that reference southwestern regionalism. It was also designed by C. D. Hill, who designed the Rogers Hotel and Central Presbyterian Church.
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 86002519, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 603 W. Marvin, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002519 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | C.D. Hill |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Prairie |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition and still in residential use at the time of the 1985 survey. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Marvin Avenue-Patrick Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.39492, -96.85016 (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 86002519.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001967
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.