Hensley-Gusman House
Also known as: Gusman House
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 on Sixth Street in Bay City, this one-story wood house combines a common cross-gable plan with an unusual octagonal layout. Architect Henry Hensley designed it for his brother Alexander D. Hensley and Maggie Hensley, using materials from the Alamo Lumber Company. Four porches and six rooms together form the octagon, which is visible only in the floor plan. A central living room with eight doors and no windows opens to each porch. The exterior shows restrained Queen Anne detailing, including carved gable ends, turned porch posts, brackets and diamond-patterned shingles. The Gusman family bought the house in 1919 and kept it until 2002. Changes were limited to concrete porch flooring in 1930 and a small rear bathroom and service porch added about 1925. The house was listed for architecture at the local level because it is a rare surviving cross-plan dwelling in Bay City and the only known one with an octagonal plan.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare intact example of a cross-plan dwelling with Queen Anne influences and a unique octagonal floor plan formed by six rooms and four porches. It is the only known octagonal-plan dwelling in Bay City and one of few modest Queen Anne influenced houses there to retain historic integrity. It is significant at the local level for architecture.
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 06000927, listed October 4, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2120 Sixth St., Bay City |
|---|---|
| County | Matagorda County |
| Listed | October 4, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000927 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905 |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Henry Hensley; Builders: Alamo Lumber Co. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Preserved in good condition with a very high degree of integrity; currently used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 28.98372, -95.96461 (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 06000927.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5731370
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.