Dial-Williamson House
Also known as: Pine Hill
Why it's listed
Pine Hill, also called the Dial-Williamson House, sits on a hill among old cedars, magnolias, oaks and hickories about three miles west of Marshall, Texas. It started as a two-room, dog-trot log house built between 1841 and 1844, probably by Henry Morgan, who held a Republic of Texas land grant. Planter G. C. Dial bought it in 1844 and enlarged it into a square, hipped-roof Greek Revival house with an inset front gallery on six square columns, a wide central double door and molded entablatures. Inside, two crossing halls divide the house into four rooms, a variation on the usual central-hall plan. Board-and-batten siding and hand-squared timbers survive. J. B. Williamson, a Republican county judge during Reconstruction, bought the house in 1869, and his descendants lived there into the 1940s. Later owners restored it in the 1960s. Outbuildings include a barn, carriage house and relocated servants' quarters.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent example of mid-19th century Greek Revival plantation houses in Harrison County, noting refined molded columns and entablatures and an unusual cross-hall plan. It is also tied to two prominent owners: planter G. C. Dial and Reconstruction-era county judge J. B. Williamson.
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 79002971, listed March 2, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3 mi.(4.8 km) W of Marshall on Old Longview Rd., Marshall |
|---|---|
| County | Harrison County |
| Listed | March 2, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002971 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; a private residence restored by its owners in the 1960s, with a kitchen wing and screened porch added. |
| Acreage | 5.1 |
| Coordinates | 32.55120, -94.42220 (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 79002971.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107321533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.