Ralston, Mary, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1924 for Mary Ralston, this two-story frame house at 116 East University in Waxahachie follows the bungalow plan. Ralston owned it until the 1940s. It has wood siding, a clipped gable roof with composition shingles and exposed rafter ends, wood double-hung windows, and an exterior brick chimney. A generous inset porch with brick piers and squared wood balusters sits within the west elevation. Other details include grouped windows, a variety of roof planes, a single-room second story, geometric patterning on the screen frames, and a pergola. The house is considered one of the best local examples of bungalow architecture and one of the few two-story versions in town. Its roof planes, porch proportions and massing show the earlier, more elaborate phase of bungalow building. It stands in a residential neighborhood northwest of downtown, south of the former Trinity University campus, and was listed as part of a survey of Waxahachie's historic resources.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as one of the best local examples of bungalow architecture and one of the few two-story versions. Its multiple roof planes, porch proportions and massing exemplify the earlier, more elaborate phase of bungalow building. A reviewer called it an interesting, locally important example of a two-story bungalow residence.
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 86002375, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 116 E. University, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002375 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.39841, -96.85390 (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 86002375.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000650
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.