Cornelison House
a.k.a. #24
1102 N. Pearl St., Belton, TXThe Cornelison House is estimated to have been built between 1875 and 1885 and is a prime example of the typical vernacular Belton house of the period. The property relates contextually to community and Regional Development, specifically to the increased settlement in Belton in the decades after the Civil War. The house meets National Register Criterion c, significant in the area of Architecture, as a pristine example of the L-plan vernacular house of the late 19th century.
The Cornelison House was built sometime around 1880, reportedly for Will Woodruff. The site at the time was on the outer fringe of the city and the house may have been built there because it was near the new Santa Fe railroad depot built in 1881 (see the context statement for further information). It was the home of the Cornelison family for many years.
The house is a modest, almost austere example of the sort of vernacular L-plan house widely used from the 1870s through the early 20th century. Pew such houses remain in their original condition. This house represents a particularly well-preserved and handsome example of the type.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.