Sengele, Alphonse T., House
Also known as: I-246
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
This two-story frame house at 502 East Juan Linn in Victoria began life in 1868 at 102 East Forrest, built for Alphonse T. Sengele. He ran a hardware and tinning shop on the ground floor and lived upstairs. In 1898 Sengele moved the building to its present location east of the central business district and added a three-bay, two-story porch. That porch carries Queen Anne details, including chamfered posts and jigsawn brackets and balustrade, while the house itself keeps its earlier classical character: an I-house plan on brick piers, a symmetrical five-bay south front, weatherboard siding and a bell cast hipped roof with box eaves and crown molding. Windows are two-over-two on the first floor and six-over-six on the second. The house was listed for its architecture as a fine local example of Queen Anne detailing. Because the move happened more than fifty years ago, the 1898 site is treated as historic. It remains a single-family home in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine local example of Queen Anne detail under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The 1898 porch, with jigsawn woodwork and chamfered posts, reflects Queen Anne styling, while the I-house form and symmetry preserve the original 1868 classical design. The building retains its integrity at the new site, and the move occurred more than 50 years ago.
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 86002538, listed October 28, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 502 E. Juan Linn, Victoria |
|---|---|
| County | Victoria County |
| Listed | October 28, 1992 |
| Reference number | 86002538 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1868, 1898 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and retaining integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.79620, -97.00258 (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 86002538.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000901
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.