Jenkins, Edwin and Mary, House
Why it's listed
This 1½-story house at 549 5th N.W. in Paris, Texas, was built in 1912-13 for Edwin Jenkins, a prominent local stonemason and sculptor, and his English wife, Mary Ellen. Local carpenters, identified as Jim and Joe Fite, built it at a cost of about $5,000. A stone porch runs the full length of the front, with corner piers and paired square posts at the central entry. Above it, a pyramidal roof is broken by a large hipped dormer with paired one-over-one windows. The walls are wood siding with a composition shingle roof. Jenkins was responsible for much of the fine stonework in the city and had a hand in the Confederate monument on the Courthouse lawn, the Culberson Fountain and many monuments in Evergreen Cemetery. His home shows examples of his masonry. It was listed as a good local example of a Pyramid House, a one-story Texas counterpart of the American Foursquare, and it remains a residence in an older neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The house is a good local example of a Pyramid House, a one-story Texas counterpart of the American Foursquare style marked by a large pyramidal roof. It also contains examples of the fine masonry of Edwin Jenkins, who was responsible for much of the notable stonework in Paris. The reviewer described it as locally significant and representative of its type.
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 88001927, listed October 26, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 549 5th, NW, Paris |
|---|---|
| County | Lamar County |
| Listed | October 26, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001927 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Jim and Joe Fite (local carpenters) |
| Architectural style | Pyramid house (Texas counterpart of American Foursquare) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition good; still used as a residence; two kitchen windows have been closed up. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.66788, -101.48536 (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 88001927.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001161
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.