The Settlement Historic District
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
Centered on South Bell Drive and Eunice Street in Texas City, this small district marks the historic heart of the Settlement, a community founded in the late 1860s and early 1870s by African-American cowboys after their years on the Chisholm Trail. The district holds five contributing buildings, a contributing site with two century-old live oaks, and one modern noncontributing house. The oldest building is the Frank Bell, Sr. House, dated to 1887, a raised Creole cottage built partly of recycled lumber and now a museum. Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s, many tied to Frank Bell, Jr. and his real estate business, reflect middle-class prosperity. A 1943 Art Moderne corner store is the last survivor of the community's business center. The district is significant for the Settlement's land ownership, high literacy, emphasis on education and Black-owned commerce, which set it apart in its era.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the historic center of a community founded in the late 1860s and 1870s by African-American cowboys who had worked on the Butler ranch and the Chisholm Trail. It reflects the community's land ownership, high literacy, education, and Black-owned commerce. It is nominated under Criterion A for Settlement and Ethnic Heritage/Black.
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 10000268, listed May 17, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Centered on the intersection of N Bell Dr and the 100 block of S Bell Dr with cross-streets Carver Ave and Eunice St, Texas City |
|---|---|
| County | Galveston County |
| Listed | May 17, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000268 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1887-1960 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; Bell, Frank, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Creole Cottage; Craftsman; Art Moderne; Ranch Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most contributing resources retain integrity. The 1887 Frank Bell, Sr. House is now a museum, the 1943 corner store is still used for local business, and the Britton Oaks site has lost its house but retains two oak trees. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 29.38431, -94.97731 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 10000268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q109999869
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.