Rockett, Paris Q., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 at 321 East University in Waxahachie, this two-story frame house was constructed by contractor E. S. Boze for Paris Q. Rockett, a businessman who owned it until the 1940s. It sits in a residential area northwest of the central business district and south of the old Trinity University campus. The house has a hipped roof with gables, wood double-hung windows, and a four-bay hip-roofed porch across the south side with turned box supports and squared wood balusters. A hipped dormer rises at the center bay, and a balcony opens at the second story above the entrance. The foundation is slightly battered. Its massing is rectangular and symmetrical, blending a four-square plan with bungalow-style detailing. Local surveyors described it as one of the city's earliest and best examples of popular architecture, which is the basis for its inclusion in the Waxahachie historic resources group. It remains in good condition and in residential use.
Significance in brief: The inventory form calls it one of the city's earliest and best examples of popular architecture. It is a simply massed building that combines a four-square plan with bungalow detailing. Rockett, a businessman, owned it until the 1940s.
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 86002343, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 321 E. University, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002343 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | E. S. Boze (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Four-square plan with bungalow type details |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition is listed as good, and the present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.40200, -96.85275 (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 86002343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000635
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.