McBride Ranch House
Why it's listed
Built in 1903 at the head of McBride Canyon, this partial dugout ranch house of native limestone sits in what is now the Lake Meredith Recreation Area north of Amarillo. David Nicholas McBride bought four sections of land from the American Pastoral Company in 1897 and lived in a frame house for a few years before building the stone home. The two-room structure is divided by a frame wall and a limestone fireplace, with bridge timbers forming the ridge beams. Floors were made of mortar and soil, and the walls were plastered with lime fired in a kiln on the ranch. The National Park Service restored it using a 1970 historic structures report and interviews with McBride's daughter. It is recognized as the oldest remaining ranch house in Potter County and as a reminder of the early cattle ranching that shaped the Texas Panhandle. Remains of an ice house and a later storage shed survive nearby.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest remaining ranch house in Potter County and one of the most substantial structures in the park from the early ranching era. It recalls the initial ranching economy of Anglo-Americans in the area. The Potter County Historical Survey Committee had already designated it worthy of preservation.
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 75000152, listed April 23, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Amarillo in Lake Meredith Recreation Area, Amarillo |
|---|---|
| County | Potter County |
| Listed | April 23, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000152 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by the National Park Service; a data sheet lists its present function as not in use, and a 1975 memo says the stabilization project is complete. |
| Acreage | 3.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.54143, -101.72934 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 75000152.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q110000949
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.