Moore House
Why it's listed
Built in 1904-05 at 400 W. Denton in Ennis, Texas, the Moore House is a two-story frame residence in the Neoclassical Revival style. It sits on a large corner lot in a residential area northwest of the central business district. The house has a hip roof with gables, wood double-hung windows, and a double-door entrance with transom and sidelights. A porch wraps around a front-projecting wing, with fluted Ionic columns on the first story and fluted Doric columns on brick pedestals rising two stories at the entry bay. Decorative touches include huge paired consoles, a hipped dormer, a roof-line balustrade with urns, garlands on the porch frieze, and grouped modillions beneath the porch overhang. The house was recognized for its asymmetrical massing, off-center entry and unusual use of details, which make it an outstanding local example of its style. It was the home for many years of the Captain H.T. Moore family and remains in residential use in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The inventory form describes the house as an outstanding local interpretation of Neoclassical Revival architecture. Its asymmetrical massing, off-center entry, paired giant-order fluted columns set on the bias and unusual detailing distinguish it. It was also the long-time home of the Captain H.T. Moore family.
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 86002398, listed September 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 400 W. Denton, Ennis |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002398 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is listed as excellent, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.33043, -96.63308 (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 86002398.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000582
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.