Weatherford House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Located on a corner lot in a residential area northwest of Ennis's central business district, this two-story house at 501 N. Preston dates to an estimated 1917. It has load-bearing brick walls, a hip roof with gables covered in composition shingles, and wood double-hung windows. The main entrance is a single door with sidelights, sheltered by a one-bay gabled porch on brick piers with squared wood balusters. Other features include exterior brick chimneys and a porte cochere with a sleeping porch above. Portico piers rising the full two stories, symmetrical rectangular massing and moderately overhanging eaves with modillions mark the Neoclassical Revival style. The house was listed for its architecture. Although that style was widely used in Texas, few examples were built in brick, and load-bearing masonry houses are uncommon in Ennis. The house was also the home of Will Weatherford during the 1920s and 1930s. The architect and builder are not recorded, and the house remains in residential use in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is an unusual example of Neoclassical Revival design built in brick, since few houses in that style in Texas were constructed of brick. It is also one of the few load-bearing masonry residences in Ennis. It was the home of Will Weatherford in the 1920s and 1930s.
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 86002503, listed September 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 501 N. Preston, Ennis |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002503 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| 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 | 32.32918, -96.63354 (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 86002503.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.