Pettey House
Also known as: Pettey-- Heard House
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 at 714 Burleson Street in San Marcos, this two-story wood-frame house was constructed for Branch Pettey, a farmer from Caldwell County who moved his family to town so his children could attend the Coronal Institute. Its most striking feature is a full-façade, two-story front porch with four non-fluted Ionic columns, a turned-post balustrade and a complex hipped roof with projecting eaves. The house sits on a 1.6-acre sloping lot with mature trees, a limestone retaining wall and a wooden barn or carriage house that contributes to the property. Additions made before about 1930 enclosed rear porches and added a bay and utility space, yet the front façade is unchanged. The house was listed for its architecture at the local level. It resembles grand homes in the nearby Belvin Street Historic District and was built the same year as the Neoclassical Hays County Courthouse, reflecting a period of growth, stability and civic pride in San Marcos.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an excellent local example of a Neoclassical residence, with a full-façade two-story porch, Ionic columns and a hipped roof. It resembles homes in the nearby Belvin Street Historic District and reflects a period of growth and civic pride in San Marcos. It also retains a high degree of historic integrity.
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 08000541, listed June 20, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 714 Burleson St., San Marcos |
|---|---|
| County | Hays County |
| Listed | June 20, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000541 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Neoclassical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single-family residence; the form describes it as having a high degree of historic integrity. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 29.88322, -97.95111 (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 08000541.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002670
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.