Georgetown Historic Planning

Historic Resource Survey

The 2016 Historic Resources Survey Report

Is my home or building on the Historic Resources Survey?
Please see the Historic Properties Map to lookup your address and see if your property is on the survey:

What does this mean for you as a property owner?

  • If your property is outside the Downtown and Old Town Overlay Districts, your property is only subject to special required approvals for demolition. All other construction or changes to your property are only subject to the standard permitting requirements.
  • If your property is located within the Downtown or Old Town Overlay Districts and is identified on the Survey, certain changes to your property could require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) reviewed by the Historic Preservation Officer or by the Historic and Architectural Review Commission (HARC). To determine what changes might need a COA, Section 3.13 Certificate of Appropriateness identifies the specifics.

What do the survey’s priorities mean?

  • Low Priority: This priority is for resources of historic age that are not associated with a significant architectural style, building form, construction method, or trend in local history. Also, resources of historic age that had been severely altered to the extent that their architectural and historic associations were no longer understandable 
  • Medium Priority: Medium priority properties are valuable resources that add to the area’s overall character and contribute moderately to an understanding of local history or broader historical patterns. The Medium may also encompass significant properties that have experienced deterioration or have undergone moderate alterations that detract from their integrity. 
  • High Priority: These resources are good examples of architecture, engineering, or crafted design. They retain a high degree of their original contextual and architectural integrity and, if altered, changes are in keeping with original design, scale, and workmanship. These properties contribute significantly to local history or broader historical patterns and are considered to be the most significant resources within the city. 
  • When making changes to a structure located in one of the Historic Overlay Districts, the priority of the structure may determine the level of review required to obtain an approved Certificate of Appropriateness. For more information about the Certificate of Appropriateness process, please review our COA specific webpage.   

History of the Historic Resource Surveys

In 1984, the Georgetown Heritage Society, with a grant through the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program of the Texas Historical Commission (THC), commissioned Hardy-Heck-Moore, Inc. (HHM) to conduct a Historic Resources Survey. This survey documented all pre-1935 historic resources built within the city limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and documented 900 properties. 

In 2007, the City of Georgetown commissioned Hardy-Heck-Moore, Inc. to update the survey to include properties built prior to 1960.   The update located, documented, and evaluated buildings, structures, objects, and districts built pre-1960 within the city limits and its ETJ. This survey documented 1,574 properties. 

In 2016, the City once again proposed to update the Survey and included public notification and education.  Cox-McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. has been working with the city for the past year to provide an intensive survey of the Historic Overlay Districts; to conduct an intensive survey of properties outsidethe Historic Overlay Districts of the properties that were included on the 1984 and 2007 surveys; and to provide a reconnaissance level review of all properties within the survey area that were constructed prior to 1975. 

The 2016 survey identifies 1,677 properties: 191 high priority resources, 589 medium priority resources, and 897 low priority resources.  Of the properties that were also documented on the prior surveys, 236 properties on the 2016 Survey changed priority status. 

  • 57 properties were upgraded in priority:  5 properties went from medium to high priority, 3 properties went from low to high priority, and 49 properties went from low to medium priority. 
  • 179 properties were downgraded in priority: 14 properties went from high to medium priority, and 165 properties went from medium to low priority. 

Please contact the Planning Department if you have any questions or concerns at historic@georgetown.org or call (512) 930-3575.

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