Baker, J. T., Farmstead
Why it's listed
About 1.2 miles north of Blum, Texas, this 100-acre farmstead preserves the setting of a central Texas cotton raiser. Its main building is a one-story board-and-batten house that began around 1881 as a single-room cabin with a limestone chimney. Bedroom, kitchen and dining additions were made before 1900, and a hallway and parlor/bedroom were added about 1902 after John Thomas Baker bought the farm and moved in with his large family. Tenant families later lived there until about 1950. A small corn crib, barnyard remains, trash dumps and the abandoned 1881 Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railway grade, with its arched limestone and brick culvert, cross the property. The house is a rare surviving example of inexpensive farm housing in the region, and the undisturbed debris around the buildings may reveal details of everyday rural life from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Significance in brief: The farmstead is argued to be an undisturbed, largely intact central Texas cotton farm. Its vernacular wood dwelling represents a type of rural house rarely preserved in the region (Criterion C, Architecture). Its undisturbed trash dumps, barnyard and yard deposits may yield information on daily rural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Criterion D, Archeology).
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 92000138, listed March 17, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1.2 mi. N of Blum between TX 174 and the Nolan R., Blum |
|---|---|
| County | Hill County |
| Listed | March 17, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000138 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-1941 |
| Architectural style | Other/vernacular: one-room cabin that evolved into an L-plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house was rehabilitated in 1988-89 and survives in remarkably original condition. The farmstead remains part of a larger operating farm, and the corn crib is still used for farm storage. |
| Acreage | 100 |
| Coordinates | 32.15834, -97.38867 (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 92000138.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999805
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.