A house dating back over a century was unanimously approved as a historical marker by McKinney’s Historic Preservation Board earlier this month.
Located at 614 N Church St., the house was formerly home to a prominent figure in McKinney’s downtown narrative, J.S. Bristol.
Constructed in the 1920s by Charles Brantley, a local carpenter active in tradesmen’s groups, the Bristol house was outfitted with natural gas appliances, making it a symbol of modernity in the city’s downtown district.
This image worked well for Bristol, a thriving entrepreneur who resided there from the time it was built until 1928.
Bristol was a linchpin in McKinney’s downtown business community from the late 19th to the early 20th century. He notably co-owned Bristol Brothers Drug Store with his cousin Robert and the Emerson and Rhea Grocery Store, which he co-owned with Hugh A. Kistler.
Bristol sold the house to a local politician named Alfred Raper in 1928. Raper’s tenure, which lasted until 1940, added another illustrious chapter to the Bristol house. During his time there, Raper served as a justice of the peace and a Collin County commissioner.
The Bristol house’s current owner, Jan Sampeck, applied for the historical marker designation so it could be restored and preserved alongside other McKinney sites such as the First National Bank, the Old Heard Opera House, and the Dowell Hardware and Furniture Store.
The house did have significant work done in 2002 when a second story and a garage were added. Yet its original structure has undergone very few alterations since it was first erected by Brantley, who built several houses across downtown McKinney. These include the J.F. Cole house at 201 N. Morris St. and the Goosetree house at 623 N. Church St.
According to an informational booklet on the historical marker process, Sampeck will now have to buy and post a historical marker in front of the home.
If the appropriate historical restorations are made, she can benefit from a Marker Level ad valorem tax incentive.
As recently reported by The Dallas Express, McKinney is planning a massive capital improvements project that will cost taxpayers about $237 million in fiscal year 2024. Dilapidated and outdated roads, water mains, wastewater mains, and sewer mains will be rehabilitated or rebuilt.