Chilton, Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S., House
Why it's listed
Dr. Louis Warren Chilton and his wife Martha Ella built this Queen Anne house at 242 North Chilton Street in Goliad in 1902, after a cyclone destroyed their 1892 home. Architect Jules Leffland of Victoria designed it, and local builder Bailey Mills constructed it on the old foundation between June and October. The wood house has an irregular plan, a hipped roof with cross gables, wrap-around porches with spindlework, and a rectangular southeast tower with a mansard roof. A kitchen and bathroom addition followed around 1925. A carriage house, a cistern and a brick underground storm shelter remain on the lot. Dr. Chilton served as Goliad County Physician and treated the injured after the 1902 storm, which killed 114 people. He practiced medicine for more than 50 years. The house keeps much of its original wood, fixtures and woodwork inside and out, and it remained in the Chilton family for over a century.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the life of Dr. L.W. Chilton, a pioneer physician and surgeon in South Texas who served Goliad County for over 50 years and led the medical response after the 1902 cyclone. It is also a well-preserved local example of Late Victorian Queen Anne architecture and one of the largest and most elaborate in Goliad.
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 98000354, listed April 9, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 242 N. Chilton St., Goliad |
|---|---|
| County | Goliad County |
| Listed | April 9, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000354 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Leffland, Jules (architect) / Mills, Bailey (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Health/Medicine |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a single dwelling; the property was sold out of the Chilton family in 1997. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.67039, -97.39419 (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 98000354.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304246
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.