Fowler, D. D., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1885 for successful rancher D. D. Fowler, this two-story wood-frame house at 1531 Ash in Georgetown follows a modified L plan under a hip roof with gables. Weatherboard siding covers the walls, and a one-story porch with Doric columns wraps the south side and part of the east side. Decorative details include imbricated shingles on the gable ends, bargeboards with pendants, jigsawn eave ornament, and a projecting front bay with angled corners and art-glass borders in its central windows. The Belford Lumber Co. is listed as contractor. The house has seen changes to its front entry and porch and rear additions, but remains in good condition and residential use. It was listed for its architecture, as one of Georgetown's finest Victorian-era dwellings, notable for its asymmetrical massing and variety of exterior finishes. The surrounding neighborhood is mostly tract housing from the 1960s, which makes this earlier house stand out.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its architecture, as one of Georgetown's finest examples of a Victorian-era dwelling, with asymmetrical massing and a variety of exterior finishes. An earlier version also cited association with Fowler, a successful rancher, but reviewers found his contributions insufficiently documented and the final area of significance was architecture.
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 86000985, listed April 29, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1531 Ash, Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | April 29, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000985 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Belford Lumber Co. (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular-Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition, with alterations including a changed front entry and porch and rear additions; still in residential use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.62941, -97.67265 (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 86000985.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002581
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.