Williams, Porter L., House
Why it's listed
This one-story frame bungalow at 200 East University in Waxahachie dates to about 1920. It has horizontal siding, a gable roof with exposed rafter ends, and wood double-hung windows with single-pane sashes. A four-bay shed-roofed porch wraps around the south and west sides on tapered box supports set on brick piers, with porch urns, and the house has both interior and exterior brick chimneys. A secondary entry opens at the rear of the porch. Bungalows were built in large numbers and many variations in Waxahachie between roughly 1910 and 1930, and this house is considered a fine example of the late phase of that building trend. Its forms and details have been simplified, yet the horizontal emphasis, porch details and urns survive. Porter L. Williams, a real estate agent, owned the house into the 1950s. It was moved to its present site in a residential area northwest of downtown and remains a residence in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a fine example of the late phase of bungalow building in Waxahachie, where bungalows were built in great numbers and variety from about 1910 to 1930. Forms and details are simplified, but the horizontal emphasis, porch details and urns remain. The reviewer rated it locally significant under Criterion C.
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 86002383, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 200 E. University, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002383 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition and still in residential use; the form also notes the house was moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.39931, -96.85345 (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 86002383.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000638
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.