Reading, Jhules, House
Also known as: 1189
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 421 Reading Street in Abilene, Texas, was built about 1900 and follows a vernacular two-room plan: two rooms wide, one room deep, under a side gable roof. Wood siding covers the walls, and the west-facing front has a small two-bay shed-roof porch on wood posts. The house originally had two front doors; one has been enclosed, though its outline remains visible in the siding. Windows are wood with two-over-two lights. Behind the house stand a board-and-batten garage that contributes to the property and a small frame shed from about 1950 that does not. It was listed for architecture because most of Abilene's surviving historic houses date from the 1920s, and few older dwellings keep their integrity. Two-room houses were common in early Abilene but are now relatively rare. The street was once called Montagne and was renamed Reading Street around 1915, presumably for Mrs. Jhules Reading, who lived in the house through the 1930s.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated under Criterion C for architecture as an outstanding example of early 20th century vernacular building in Abilene. It is considered one of the city's best illustrations of a two-room plan house and one of few older vernacular buildings that still looks much as it did originally. It is tied to the historic context of the railroad and Abilene's growth as a wholesale and distribution center.
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 92000231, listed March 23, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 421 Reading St., Abilene |
|---|---|
| County | Taylor County |
| Listed | March 23, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000231 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: vernacular: 2-room plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a private residence; described as in good condition and retaining its integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.45365, -99.74236 (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 92000231.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001329
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.