Whitaker-McClendon House
Also known as: The McClendon House,or The Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House
Why it's listed
Built about 1880 on a two-acre lot in southwest Tyler, this two-story wood frame villa combines Italianate and Eastlake details. Cypress and heart pine beveled siding, carved frieze boards, sawtoothed brackets, a steeply pitched bargeboard gable and a latticed second-story porch give it a distinctive Victorian character. Rear additions and a Classical Revival porch with Ionic columns were added in 1910. It was built for attorney Harrison Moores Whitaker, whose firm represented the Texas and St. Louis Railroad, and his wife Martha Bonner, daughter of a Texas Supreme Court judge. After renters occupied it, Sidney Smith McClendon, a piano and organ merchant, Democratic chairman and Tyler postmaster, bought it in 1907 with his wife Anna Bonner McClendon. The family kept it until 1979. The house is listed as one of the few remaining High Victorian homes in Tyler, recognized for its architecture and its link to families active in the city's civic and church life. Preservation plans call for community use.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the few surviving High Victorian residences in Tyler, with Eastlake and Italianate detailing. It also has civic significance through the Whitaker and McClendon families, who were active in law, railroad affairs, politics, church life and music in Tyler. The form recommends acceptance under Criterion C.
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 82004522, listed June 2, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 806 W. Houston St., Tyler |
|---|---|
| County | Smith County |
| Listed | June 2, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004522 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Italianate and early Eastlake influence (High Victorian suburban villa); Classical Revival front porch added 1910 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition and unoccupied (vacant) at the time of nomination; plans called for restoring the exterior to its 1910 appearance and using the house for community activities. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 32.34333, -95.30922 (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 82004522.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7994121
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.