Railroad Produce Depot
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built as a giant cold cellar for fresh vegetables grown around Georgetown, this limestone warehouse at 401 West Sixth Street measures about 38 by 80 feet and is banked into a hill. That placement gave it loading doors on two floors plus a basement. Its walls are 21 inches thick and it had few windows, which helped keep the interior cold. A cedar-timbered tunnel carried water away to a nearby creek. It was probably built around 1879, when railroad track was laid, and it was once part of a commercial cluster that included an ice plant, depot, lumberyard and laundry. Around 1903 to 1909 refrigeration, a cooling tower and a concrete floor were added, and the south wall was opened up for motor vehicles. By 1935 it no longer earned revenue and became a machine and gin repair shop, later serving as a grain warehouse and an artist's studio. It was listed for its railroad-related commerce, its architecture and its energy-conserving design, and as the last trace of that district.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a good example of the early Texas railroad warehouses that stored locally grown vegetables. It is also noted for energy-efficient design: it is half underground, has few windows, and uses roof ventilators, water evaporation and a drainage tunnel to keep cool. It is the last remnant of a once larger commercial area around the railroad.
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 79003024, listed November 7, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 401 W. 6th St., Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | November 7, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003024 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.a. 1879-1935 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 1979 form lists it as in use as a warehouse, with plans to convert it to a dwelling and commercial units. A 1999 letter in the file says it stood vacant and deteriorating for several years before a 1994 renovation into an office/residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.63868, -97.67920 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 79003024.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000510
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.