Morton House
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 at 1007 N. McKinney in Ennis, this two-story frame house has a U-shaped plan that is unusual in the local area and may be the only example of its kind there. It began as an L-plan dwelling, and maps and records show it was reshaped into a U between 1909 and 1915. Weatherboard siding covers the walls beneath a gable roof, and the windows are wood double-hung sash. A three-bay porch with a pent roof sits between the projecting front wings. Slender Doric columns support the first-floor porch, while slimmer columns with jig-sawn brackets and a frieze mark the second story. Imbricated shingles decorate the gable. The house was the home of C. S. Morton, who worked as a yard engineer for the H. & T. C. Railroad in the 1920s. Its listing rests mainly on its architecture, particularly the rare plan type. It remains in residential use in good condition, and the architect and builder are unknown.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as an unusual U-plan dwelling, possibly the only local example of that plan type. It began as an L-plan and was changed to a U-plan between 1909 and 1915. It was also the home of C. S. Morton, a yard engineer for the H. & T. C. Railroad in the 1920s.
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 86002457, listed September 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1007 N. McKinney, Ennis |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | U-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; present use residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.33442, -96.63426 (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 86002457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001910
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.