Wheeler, William, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 at 303 N. Williams in Victoria, this two-story Neoclassical Revival house was designed by local architect Jules Leffland for English immigrant William Wheeler, his wife Emma Hauschild Wheeler and six of their children. The wood-frame building has beveled sheathing, a hip roof with gables, and a two-story wrap-around porch with Doric columns and turned balusters. Other details include floral designs in the entry gables, a pent roof between porch levels, imbricated shingles, Palladian motifs in the gable ends and wood siding scored to resemble stone. Wheeler helped design water systems in Missouri and Texas before arriving in 1884 to oversee construction of Victoria's water system. He served as superintendent of the Victoria Water Department from 1885 to 1922 and started a plumbing supply business that his son and grandson continued until 1965. Family members lived in the house until 1982. A garage and a board-and-batten carriage house remain on the property, and its condition is recorded as good.
Significance in brief: The house is noted for its classically detailed architecture, designed by local architect Jules Leffland. It is also tied to politics and government through William Wheeler, who oversaw construction of Victoria's water system in 1884 and served as superintendent of the Victoria Water Department from 1885 to 1922.
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 86002599, listed December 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 303 N. William St., Victoria |
|---|---|
| County | Victoria County |
| Listed | December 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002599 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Jules Leffland (architect); Harris (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present condition listed as good; a portion of the rear (southwest) porch has been enclosed. Present use residential. Wheeler family members occupied the house until 1982. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.80073, -97.00352 (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 86002599.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8020257
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.