Another Historic House Lost

 On Tuesday, April 12 (2022) The Georgetown City Council voted 4-3 to allow the demolition of this historic house at 412 E. 7th St. despite many appeals from preservationists and even the local paper. The house, which dates back to the late 1800s, had ties to the founder of Georgetown (George Glasscock) and was listed as "Medium Priority" on the city's Historic Resources Survey. HARC voted against the proposed demolition but the owners took their case to City Council, which went against the HARC recommendation. Another historic house lost due to public officials who have little interest in preserving Georgetown's history, character and charm.

New construction on the east side of downtown

 Several new houses have been built on the north side of Hwy. 29 near the intersection with Scenic Drive. One of the lots had been vacant for a long time after the building on it burned down. I think the developers have done a nice job making these fit in with the neighborhood they are built in.

The old tractor farm

Some folks used to refer affectionately to the property at 805 E. 8th St. as the "Tractor Farm" because the lot was covered with old, rusting tractors. Last year the house on the lot was torn down and most of the tractors that were on the property were removed. We biked by the property yesterday and this beautiful new house was on the lot.

New use for an old house

This old house at 309 N. Main Street has been renovated and turned in to a coffee shop. It was closed when I took this photo, but when it is open it seems to be quite popular.

Update on the Lane-Riley House

The Lane-Riley House at 1302 College Street, which dates back to 1872,  has been vacant as long as I have been doing this blog. The house has changed hands three times in the past 10 years, but none of the owners ever followed through on renovations. Now, a couple from Lufkin has purchased the house and has announced plans to spend $175,000 on renovations. Their proposed renovations have been approved by both the Texas Historical Commission and Georgetown's Historical and Architectural Review Commission.

The Hyer House - 2009 vs. 2019

The photos in this post show what the Hyer House at 904 Ash Street looked like in 2009 (above) and how it looks today (below) after massive renovations/additions.

The Peaslee House

This house at 1009 S. Elm Street has always been one of my favorites in Old Town. Not long after I moved to Georgetown, it was featured in Southern Living. When I lived around the corner from this house, I had the opportunity to get to know its wonderful owners and attend several events at the house.

It wasn't until this year's Preservation Georgetown Home Tour that I learned about the history of the house. It was originally built in 1916 by the Griffith Lumber Company for Tom Peaslee, who lived there with his wife, Jennie, and their two children. Peaslee was the owner and operator of a meat market on Austin Avenue to the left of the Palace Theater.

When Greg and Linda Austin bought the house in 2003, it was still pretty much in its original condition. In fact, they even found an old Model A in the garage shed, completely obscured by trash and scrap metal!

The Austins added an addition at the back of the house that gives them a garage and guest bedroom, as well as a master bathroom and more kitchen space. But the addition and other renovations have stayed true to the original craftsman style of the home. I love every opportunity I get to see this house!