McAllen Ranch
Also known as: Rancho San Juanito; Santa Anita
Why it's listed
McAllen Ranch, also called Rancho San Juanito, is a working cattle ranch of roughly 32,500 acres northwest of Edinburg in the Rio Grande Valley. Its origins lie in a Spanish colonial grant: Manuel Gómez occupied the Santa Anita lands in 1790, dug wells and built houses for workers, and received the grant formally in 1799. The land later passed through the Ballí and McAllen families, and the western half, San Juanito, was partitioned off in 1898. The headquarters includes a center-passage main house built in 1905 by Martin Hansen of Brownsville for James Ballí McAllen, a board-and-batten guest house with a wine cellar, a commissary, employee houses, stables and barns. Beyond the compound are windmills, wells, corrals, boundary marker stones and four archaeological sites. The property was listed for its settlement and agricultural history, its architecture and its archaeological potential, and for remaining in one family's hands for more than two centuries.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the ranch is significant for exploration and settlement and agriculture (Criterion A), for its architecture (Criterion C), and for archaeological deposits (Criterion D). It has remained in one family since 1790, and remnants of Spanish colonial wells and markers survive alongside early twentieth-century ranch buildings.
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 07000337, listed April 18, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | FM 1017, 13 mi. W of TX 281, Linn |
|---|---|
| County | Hidalgo County |
| Listed | April 18, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000337 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1790 - 1956 |
| Architect / builder | Martin Hansen, 1904 (of approximately 5 of the buildings) |
| Architectural style | Center passage house (listed as OTHER=center passage) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Prehistoric, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a working cattle ranch; the main house was restored after 1998 and is in continuous occupation, and employee houses remain occupied. |
| Acreage | 32537.5 |
| Coordinates | 26.64165, -98.24391 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 07000337.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.