Perry, Capt. William, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1858 in the river port of Jefferson, Texas, this two-story frame house is a Greek Revival townhouse of a type uncommon in the state. It has a side-hall plan, an off-center front door beneath a small flat-roofed porch with square columns and pilasters, and a front-facing gable treated as a pediment. Clapboard siding, six-over-six windows, a five-panel door with a transom, and deeply carved moldings give it a vertical, richly detailed look that recalls Greek Revival houses in New England and the old Northwest Territory. Captain William Perry, a New Hampshire native and officer in the Jefferson river trade, built it and lived in Jefferson until his death in 1869. He was best known as owner of the Excelsior Hotel. The house was moved to its present corner in 1957 and incorporated into a funeral home, which kept the high ceilings, large rooms and antiques. It is recognized chiefly for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls the house particularly outstanding for its architecture and one of Jefferson's finest two-story Greek Revival townhouses, an unusual type for Texas. Its side-hall plan, vertical proportions and deeply carved detailing recall Greek Revival homes of New England and the old Northwest Territory. It is also tied to Perry, a river-trade officer and owner of the Excelsior Hotel.
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 70000755, listed August 25, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW corner of Walnut and Clarksville Sts., Jefferson |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Listed | August 25, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000755 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c. 1858) |
| Architect / builder | Captain William Perry (builder) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; altered and moved; occupied and used commercially as part of a funeral home. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Jefferson Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.76056, -94.34700 (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 70000755.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002268
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.