Williamson, E. D., House
Also known as: 5227
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 641 Chestnut Street in Abilene was built about 1898. It has weatherboard siding, a side gable roof of standing seam sheet metal (originally wood shingle), an offset interior brick chimney, and a front porch with Tuscan columns and a hipped metal roof. Decorative shutters flank the double-hung windows, and a small early 20th-century shed stands at the southeast corner of the lot. The house is recognized as Abilene's best preserved example of a 2-room vernacular dwelling, the least common of the city's vernacular house forms. It sits in the southeast part of the original town plan, which holds the city's largest concentration of late 19th and early 20th century houses. Its survival highlights building traditions from before World War I that are easily overshadowed by the city's many 1920s buildings. City directories list a series of occupants over the decades, and the property is in good condition with its historic character largely intact.
Significance in brief: It is presented as Abilene's best and least altered example of a 2-room vernacular house, the least common of the city's vernacular house forms. It represents pre-World War I building traditions that are often overlooked because 1920s buildings dominate historic Abilene. It is also tied to the 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 92000202, listed March 23, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 641 Chestnut St., Abilene |
|---|---|
| County | Taylor County |
| Listed | March 23, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000202 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1898 |
| Architectural style | Other: vernacular: 2-room plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and retaining its integrity; the porch railing is the most altered feature. Historically and currently used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.44251, -99.73397 (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 92000202.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107320239
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.