Elliott, Joel, House
a.k.a. #11
716 N. College St., Belton, TXThe Elliott House, built around 1881, is an early Belton example of the Eastlake influence on vernacular houses. Contextually, the property relates to the Community and Regional Development of Belton, specifically to the prosperity of Belton at the beginning of the cotton boom era and the availability of manufactured materials in Belton after the arrival of the railroad. The house is eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion c, significant in the area of Architecture, as a remarkably intact example of the period of the ornate Queen Anne aesthetic in popular house design.
The Elliott House was built for Joel Elliott in 1881. Elliott was a partner in the Ray & Elliott dry goods store in downtown Belton. His prosperity, therefore, would have been closely linked to the trade opportunities introduced by the railroad and the overall economic growth of Belton in the late 19th century. The house must have presented a striking contrast to the vernacular Greek Revival then common in Belton. The Elliott House is an excellent early example of the way in which Queen Anne and Eastlake styles were adapted to popular house types and spread with the availability of the ornate milled trim that characterized the style.
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.