Garrett, John A. and Sophie, House
Also known as: Site No. 191
Why it's listed
Built around 1897 at 401 East Alabama Street in Wharton, this 1 1/2-story frame house follows a modified L-plan beneath a large pyramidal roof with intersecting gables. It rests on brick piers and is clad in weatherboard siding, with 2/2 wooden double-hung windows and louvered shutters. A U-shaped hipped-roof porch wraps the south, east and north sides, supported by turned posts with jigsawn balusters and a turned frieze. A canted bay window and a small dormer with an art-glass bordered window add to the complex roofline. The house was listed for architecture. Its significance lies in how it takes a folk house form widely used in hot, humid Southern climates and enriches it with Queen Anne detailing, placing it at the upscale end of the pyramid-roof type. Title passed to Sophie Garrett in 1897, and the Garretts remained until 1944. In the 1920s the house marked the northern limit of the city. It retains a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent example of an upscale modified L-plan, pyramid-roof house of the late 19th century. Heavy Queen Anne detailing raises a common folk house form to a more urbane level. It retains a high degree of integrity and represents Wharton's late 19th-century housing stock.
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 93000115, listed March 18, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 E. Alabama, Wharton |
|---|---|
| County | Wharton County |
| Listed | March 18, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000115 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1897 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Modified L-plan house, with Victorian (Queen Anne) influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current use is single dwelling; the form says the property retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.31278, -96.09483 (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 93000115.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000905
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.