McLean Commercial Historic District
Why it's listed
McLean's commercial district occupies parts of eight blocks in the downtown of a small Texas Panhandle town founded along the Rock Island Railroad. North Main Street holds mostly one-story brick storefronts built between 1914 and 1930, including the two-story 1914 O'Dell (Hindman) Hotel, the district's oldest building, and the 1936 Art Deco Avalon Theater, which keeps its original marquee and ticket booth. First and Railroad streets carry buildings from 1930 to 1954 that served motorists: gas stations, car dealerships and repair shops. Route 66 came through on First Street in 1926 and was split into two one-way alignments in 1952, until Interstate 40 bypassed the town in 1984. The gas stations show changing designs from the 1920s to the 1950s, including a ca. 1929 Phillips 66 station built in an English cottage form. Brick streets, both Route 66 roadbeds, an ice plant and a water tower also contribute. The district retains a strong sense of its mid-twentieth-century character.
Significance in brief: The district preserves a small Texas Panhandle railroad and cattle town's commercial core, with one-story brick storefronts on North Main Street and a notable group of gas stations, dealerships and repair shops tied to U.S. Route 66. It retains brick streets and both Route 66 alignments, and conveys the town's mid-20th-century automobile heritage.
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 06001153, listed December 20, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Railroad, Rowe, Second and Gray Sts., McLean |
|---|---|
| County | Gray County |
| Listed | December 20, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style, Bungalow/Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Art Deco; 1-Part and 2-Part Commercial Block |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Retains a high degree of integrity, with 40 of 44 buildings counted as contributing; current functions include business, specialty store, financial institution, theater and dwellings. |
| Coordinates | 35.23211, -100.60100 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 06001153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.