Lane-Riley House

Why it's listed
Built between 1872 and 1878, this one-and-a-half-story wood-frame house at 1302 College sits in a residential neighborhood southeast of Georgetown's central business district, among mostly late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century dwellings. It follows a central-hall plan with an early rear ell, board-and-batten walls, a cross-gable wood-shingle roof, and two stone chimneys with corbeled caps. The symmetrical three-bay facade has a single-door entrance with transom and sidelights, a shed-roofed porch, and a gabled extension rising above the center bay. A stone-lined cistern with a pyramidal roof survives as an outbuilding. The house was built for Reverend Sterling Lane, who is believed to have used the front room as a classroom for young children. Reverend George W. Riley bought it in 1906. Its listing rests on architecture: it is one of the oldest frame dwellings in Georgetown and has remained virtually unaltered since the 1870s. The property is described as in good condition and currently vacant.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated primarily for architecture as one of the oldest frame dwellings in Georgetown. It has remained virtually unaltered since its completion in the 1870s. It was built for Reverend Sterling Lane, who is believed to have used the front room as a classroom for young children.
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 86000975, listed April 29, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1302 College, Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | April 29, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000975 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is listed as vacant; condition is given as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.63212, -97.67220 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 86000975.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000550
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.