Houston, Mrs. Sam, House
Why it's listed
Built in the early 1830s by John Bancroft Root, this two-story frame house in Independence, Texas, dates from the earliest period of Anglo settlement, when most buildings were made of logs. It has horizontal siding, a gable roof, a two-story front porch with a pedimented gable, a wide center hall with two large rooms on each floor, and a stone chimney at each end. A rear ell is said to include the original separate kitchen, later joined to the house by a glassed-in breezeway. The house is also tied to Margaret Moffette Lea Houston, widow of Sam Houston. After his death in 1863 she moved here with their eight children from Huntsville and lived in the house until she died in December 1867. It was recognized for this association with the Houston family and as a fine early example of an elegant two-story Texas residence. The 1839 President's house in Austin was very similar to it.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Houston family. Margaret Lea Houston, widow of Sam Houston, lived there from 1863 until her death in 1867. It is also an early, fine example of an elegant two-story Texas house, built when most buildings were log.
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 70000775, listed October 22, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | FM 390, 1 block E of jct. with FM 50, Independence |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | October 22, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000775 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | early 1830s |
| Architect / builder | John Bancroft Root |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (simple Greek Revival double porch with pedimented gable) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, altered, on its original site, and in use as a private residence. Recent owners left it generally unchanged apart from a glassed-in breezeway joining the kitchen building to the main house. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 30.31912, -96.34510 (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 70000775.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6929873
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.