Whaley House
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 on a wooded promontory in the newly platted town of Longview, this one-and-a-half story wood frame house began as four rooms and a central hall. Local tradition names it the fourth house in town. Within a year or two, projecting end pavilions, additional chimneys and a cellar were added, and a jigsawn porch balustrade followed. Around 1900 the kitchen was brought into the house, and a 1920s remodeling replaced the porch columns and steps. Its builder, Franklin Lucilius Whaley, was a hardware merchant, a founder of the First Baptist Church and Longview's mayor in 1891. He kept a bedroom as a preacher's room for circuit-riding ministers, and the county's first court met above his hardware store until the courthouse opened in 1876. In the 1870s the house was the town's showplace. Whaley's descendants lived there until 1979, and a law firm now plans to restore its exterior.
Significance in brief: The house was reportedly the fourth built in the newly platted town of Longview and was considered the town's showplace in the 1870s because of its size and Victorian ornamentation. Its builder, F. L. Whaley, was an early hardware merchant, a founder of the First Baptist Church and Longview's mayor in 1891. Gregg County's first court met in the upper story of his hardware store until the courthouse was built in 1876.
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 80004122, listed May 23, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 101 E. Whaley St., Longview |
|---|---|
| County | Gregg County |
| Listed | May 23, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004122 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Franklin Lucilius Whaley (builder, for his family) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival or transitional Symmetrical Victorian cottage |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Descendants of the Whaley family lived in the house until June 1979, when a law firm bought it. The firm plans to restore the exterior to its nineteenth century appearance and use the interior as law offices. Condition is listed as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.49766, -94.73848 (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 80004122.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107321500
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.