Gifford, George C. and Annie, House
Also known as: Site No. 296
Why it's listed
This one-story frame house at 615 West Caney Street in Wharton, Texas, dates to about 1900 and follows an L-plan. It faces north on a large lot with deciduous trees. A gable roof of asphalt shingles covers the house, which rests on brick piers, with brick chimneys at each end of the main block. The four-bay front has a door with transom and sidelights and a tripartite gable window. An open hipped-roof porch with turned columns and decorative brackets wraps around the eastern corner and is the main ornament. Windows are two-over-two wooden double-hung sashes. The house appears on the 1906 Sanborn map. Heirs of George C. and Annie Gifford owned it in 1937, and it stayed in the Gifford family, one of Wharton's oldest, until 1977. It was listed for architecture as one of the finest and most distinctive early L-plan houses in Wharton, with Victorian detail and good integrity despite its fair condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the best and most distinctive examples of the L-plan vernacular form in Wharton, with Victorian detail, and that it retains its integrity. It is also tied to the Gifford family, one of Wharton's oldest families, and relates to the context of community development in Wharton, 1875-1942.
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 93000096, listed March 18, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 615 W. Caney, Wharton |
|---|---|
| County | Wharton County |
| Listed | March 18, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000096 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: L-plan House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as being in fair condition and still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.31319, -96.10532 (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 93000096.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002541
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.