Hawes, Edwin, House
Also known as: Site No. 800
Why it's listed
Built in 1897 for Edwin Hawes, this two-story frame house at 309 North Resident Street in Wharton follows the center-passage, or I-house, form: one room deep, two stories tall, with a central hall and a rear ell. It sits on brick piers under a hipped asphalt-shingle roof and is clad in weatherboard, with two-over-two wooden windows and shutters. Its most prominent feature is a two-story porch with six Classical Revival columns, a jig-sawn balustrade and a matching frieze. A truncated tower with a mansard roof marks the south side, and a ca. 1920 frame garage stands to the north. The house shows Queen Anne influence from its original construction alongside early 20th-century Classical Revival changes, yet it keeps its basic form and a high degree of integrity. Hawes passed the bar in 1874, served as Wharton County Judge from 1876 to 1882, and helped restore the county's finances. The house was listed for its architecture, as one of the town's finest turn-of-the-century residences.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent example of a two-story center-passage house that mixes late-19th-century Queen Anne influence with early 20th-century Classical Revival alterations. It retains a high degree of integrity and is described as one of Wharton's finest turn-of-the-century residences. It is also tied to Edwin Hawes, a county judge and local political figure.
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 93000102, listed March 18, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 309 N. Resident, Wharton |
|---|---|
| County | Wharton County |
| Listed | March 18, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000102 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1897, ca. 1920 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Center-passage House (Queen Anne influence with Classical Revival alterations) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.31373, -96.09686 (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 93000102.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002532
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.