BlockFrom the record
One of 8 National Register listings published here for Kaufman County · listed in 1993 · category: Building.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
William and Blanche Brooks House
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
The listing
- What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 2 buildingss as contributing to the listing.
- Listed as. Brooks, William and Blanche, House - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
- Address. 500 S. Center St., Forney, 75126
- When was it listed? July 1993
- Category. building
- Census division. Forney
- Architectural style. Queen Anne style architecture in the United States
- National Register reference number. 93000566 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.
Fires near this property
43 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 43 fires within 5 miles of William and Blanche Brooks House between 2005 and 2018, burning about 1,450 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 19 |
| Debris and open burning | 16 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2012 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | EAST SPUR |
| 24 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 500 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 24 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 325 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 14 September 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 150 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 14 September 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 5 August 2010 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | E HWY 80 |
| 11 August 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRIFFIN |
| 4 July 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | HEARTLAND |
Storms near this property
54 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Forney, the town this property stands in, in 54 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 26 hail, 16 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 4 flash flood. The reports record 7 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2012 | Tornado (EF3) | Forney | 7 hurt, $100,000,000 | An EF-3 tornado did extensive damage as it wound its way through the town of Forney. The tornado began near the intersection of Broad St and N Bois D'arc Street just southwest of Highway 80. As it moved to the northeast, the first significant damage was noted near Aimee St and N Bois D'arc St. There was substantial tree damage with some large trees uprooted near this intersection. Also, shingle damage, roof damage to a fire station nearby, blown out windows at a few homes and an outbuilding was destroyed, all near this intersection. A street sign at the intersection was also completely bent flat near the base. The tornado moved northeast and crossed Hwy 80 near the Forney Cleaners business where substantial roof and commercial sign damage occurred. Debris was also observed in the median between the east and westbound lanes near this location. The tornado continued northeast producing light damage to industrial buildings, but was largely over open fields. The tornado then crossed over Ridgecrest Rd and produced substantial damage to many homes in the Diamond Creek subdivision. One of the first homes struck was on Woodberry Dr and was completely destroyed. Several more homes were destroyed in this subdivision and other homes sustained substantial damage. It was determined that several of the destroyed homes were destroyed as the result of excessive lift being forced upon the roof, and the roofs of these homes were poorly attached to the external walls of the home. Once the roofs failed, pressure built up on internal walls causing the failure of nearly all external and internal walls. As the tornado continued northeast through the subdivision it consistently produced damage to homes, most of which was different degrees of roof or top floor damage. The tornado exited the subdivision at Crosby Elementary School. The tornado damaged several vehicles that were in the schools parking lot. One vehicle was lofted approximately 300 yards into a field northeast of the school. The school itself sustained mainly roof damage. Children were in the school when the tornado struck, but no injuries occurred. The tornado continued northeast for several miles, producing light/EF-0 damage along the way. In total, this tornado destroyed 14 homes, caused major damage to 28 homes and minor damage to another 42 homes. Many of the damaged homes were in the Diamond Creek Subdivision. Due to damage in the Diamond Creek Subdivision, the maximum estimated winds with this tornado were 150 mph. The path length was approximately 7.7 miles, and the maximum width was 150 yards. Seven people sustained non life-threatening injuries. |
| April 2012 | Hail | Forney | $1,000,000 | Tea cup sized and slightly larger hail pelted homes in the Travis Ranch Subdivision in north Forney. The hailstones penetrated 1/2-inch thick plywood and roof decks. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $500,000 | Damage was reported in and around Forney. Tree limbs and fences were knocked down, sheds were damaged, the roof of the O'Reilly Auto Parts was damaged, and major damage was reported to the North Forney High School. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $100,000 | Downburst winds caused damage to barns and several homes in the city of Forney. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $75,000 | Straight-line winds damaged trees and some outbuildings across the northern portions of Kaufman County. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Forney | $60,000 | A tornado touched down north of Forney near the intersection of FM 740 and Lover's Lane. This tornado was approximately 60 yards wide and remained on the ground along a half mile path. Five homes suffered roof damage. This tornado has been rated an EF-1 with maximum winds estimated at 100 to 105 mph. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $50,000 | Widespread damage occurred in Forney. On Winner's Circle, several large trees were split or uprooted and several outbuildings were blown over or damaged. A stadium light pole at Brown Middle School collapsed. Metal flashing was lost on the west side of Blackburn Elementary School. At Forney High School, a fence and the home dugout at the baseball field was damaged, and water damage occurred in the auditorium when a roof drain failed. |
| June 2009 | Flash Flood | Forney | $30,000 | An estimated seven inches of rain in about 10 hours resulted in flooding in Forney. Street flooding closed down neighborhood streets and the water was up to the foundation of some homes in areas where the terrain was slightly lower. In parts of Downtown Forney, the water was up to the bumper of cars. The Curves on East Main Street was flooded and Mustang Creek rose out of its banks on one side. High water also closed down the intersections of Bowie Street and Pinson Road and Heritage Hill Drive at FM 470. |
| June 2011 | Lightning | Forney | $25,000 | Lightning started a house fire in the 2000 block of Northridge in Forney. |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Forney | $20,000 | A vehicle was swept off the road due to flash flooding between Valley View Rd and FM 548 near Forney. |
| March 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $10,000 | A home on Calvert Rd in the Forney area sustained damage. The home lost several shingles, had broken tree limbs, and the work shop, though still standing, was structurally destroyed. Both the roll up doors were blown out and all the trusses and supports are bent and/or broken. |
| January 2010 | Hail | Forney | $10,000 | Golfball size hail fell in the city of Forney. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $10,000 | Power lines and mailboxes were blown down as were construction signs along South Bois d'Arc (FM 740). |
| September 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $7,000 | The Forney PD reported wind damage to the Dairy Queen on HWY 80 near Pinson Road. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Forney | $5,000 | Report was received via mPING. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds peeled off half of the roof from a mobile home. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $5,000 | A tree was blown down onto a car by high winds. |
| October 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $5,000 | A crane was blown onto the roof of a nearby building. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down and shingles were blown off roofs. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Forney | - | Facebook video showed large amounts of pea to quarter sized hail falling in Forney. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Forney | - | Reported via mPing. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Forney | - | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). |
| May 2024 | Hail | Forney | - | A trained spotter reported half dollar hail at I-20 and FM 740 in Forney. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Forney | - | Broadcast media reported ping pong ball sized hail near a middle school in Forney, TX. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Forney | - | Amateur radio reported ping pong ball sized hail about 4 miles south-southeast of Forney, TX. |
| January 2010 | Flood | Forney | - | Several county roads throughout the county were covered with water. County Road 243 was closed east of the city of Kaufman. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Forney | - | Quarter size hail fell just east of Forney. |
| September 2010 | Hail | Forney | - | Penny size hail was reported in Forney by the local police department. |
| March 2008 | Flash Flood | Forney | - | Flooding was reported north of Highway 80 along Pinson Road. |
| June 2007 | Flood | Forney | - | The east fork of the Trinity River rose as high as the bottoms of bridges. |
| October 2007 | Flood | Forney | - | Six to eight inches of floodwater was reported in Forney as the east fork of the Trinity River rose over its banks. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | - | A transformer was blown down. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | - | A high profile vehicle was blown off the road by thunderstorm winds. |
| September 1998 | Flash Flood | Forney | - | Farm Market 1641 near Forney was flooded. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | - | There were widespread reports of trees blown down, some of which were blocking roads. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | - | Wind damage was reported near Forney., |
| April 1994 | Hail | Forney | - | A brief tornado touchdown observed by a storm chaser. |
| October 1993 | Hail | Forney | - | A crane was blown onto the roof of a nearby building. |
| May 1993 | Tornado (F0) | Forney | - | A brief tornado touchdown with no damage, observed by an off-duty ,meteorologist. |
| May 1993 | Tornado (F0) | Forney | - | Observed by an off-duty meteorologist. |
| December 2024 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| April 2021 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| April 2021 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| March 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forney | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| October 2004 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| March 1995 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
| May 1994 | Hail | Forney | - | no account filed |
Map coverage status
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Sources for this property
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 93000566 in Record Group 79. |
| Kaufman County | All 8 listed properties in this county. |
Provenance
- Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
- Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
- How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.