Cooper, Jesse and Sara, House
Also known as: Site No. 840
Why it's listed
Perched on a high bluff about 1.8 miles east of downtown Georgetown, this two-story wood frame house was completed in 1912 for Jesse Cooper and his wife Sara. Cooper contracted with Charles S. Belford of Belford Lumber Company to build it. The design follows the American Four Square form with Prairie School influences, with a hipped roof, weatherboard siding, grouped one-over-one windows and a wide shed-roof porch that wraps the south and west sides on stone piers with a stone balustrade. A porte cochere extends from the southeast corner. Two small additions at the rear are the only changes to the original form. Cooper, a Tennessee native, helped found the Williamson County Sun newspaper, the First National Bank of Georgetown and the Georgetown Oil Mill. The house is regarded as one of the best local examples of its type, retains a high degree of integrity, and was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1988.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few American Four Square buildings with Prairie School influences in the Georgetown area. Its large sweeping porch, four-square plan, high integrity and prominent location make it an important example of local architectural development. It is also tied to Jesse Cooper, a leading Georgetown businessman.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000073, listed February 16, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1.8 mi. E of Georgetown Hwy. 29, Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | February 16, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000073 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912 |
| Architect / builder | Belford Lumber Company |
| Architectural style | American Four Square with Prairie School influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and retaining its integrity; still a single dwelling, and in recent years it has served as a bed and breakfast. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.64232, -97.64701 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000073.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002555
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.