Harper-Chesser House
Why it's listed
Located at 1309 College in Georgetown, this two-story house combines two building campaigns. The older part is a rear one-story wing of limestone blocks with stone lintels and sills, a gable roof and a half basement, probably built by Dr. D. George Harper, an early Georgetown physician, around 1860. The form suggests this stone ell might be the oldest structure in the city. About 1890 a frame section, probably built by D. S. Chesser, a two-time county judge, was added. It has a hip roof, jigsawn brackets under the eaves, two-over-two double-hung windows, a five-sided window bay on the west front, and a one-story porch with Doric columns wrapping the south and west sides. Two small frame garages stand on the lot. The house sits in a residential neighborhood southwest of the central business district, among mostly late nineteenth-century dwellings. It was recognized chiefly for architecture, as an example of an early pioneer stone house with a later addition.
Significance in brief: The form cites architecture as the primary area of significance. The rear stone ell might be the oldest structure in the city and is described as a good example of an early pioneer stone dwelling with a late nineteenth-century addition. The stone part was probably built by Dr. D. George Harper, an early Georgetown physician, and the frame part probably by D. S. Chesser, a two-time county judge.
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 86000969, listed April 29, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1309 College, Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | April 29, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000969 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; present use is residential. A third frame outbuilding was being razed at the time of the survey. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.63193, -97.67157 (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 86000969.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5663348
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.