Taylor-Cooper House
Why it's listed
Occupying an entire block at 105 E. 5th Street in Georgetown, this two-story stone house began as a one-story stone dwelling built for Captain Emzy Taylor, a prominent merchant and banker. Taylor founded the 1st National Bank of Georgetown and helped establish both Georgetown College and the Georgetown Railroad Co. Later the house belonged to R. T. and Corrina Taylor Cooper; he worked as a bank cashier, then as a jeweler and real estate agent. Belford Lumber Co. carried out extensive remodelings in 1910. The current form has a Georgian plan, stucco scored to resemble ashlar stone, a low hip roof with bracketed eaves, Ionic porch columns, a denticulated cornice, stone lintels and a main entry with beveled leaded-glass lights. A small one-story section at the northwest corner may be the original dwelling. A stone-lined fence base surrounds the block, and a concrete hitching post inscribed with the Cooper name stands in the front yard. Its architecture and ties to local business leaders support its listing.
Significance in brief: The form cites architecture and association with prominent individuals. The house began as a one-story stone dwelling for Captain Emzy Taylor, a merchant and banker who founded the 1st National Bank of Georgetown and helped establish Georgetown College and the Georgetown Railroad Co. It was later owned by R. T. and Corrina Taylor Cooper and was extensively remodeled in 1910.
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 86000203, listed January 14, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 105 E. Fifth, Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | January 14, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000203 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Belford Lumber Co. (contractor; extensive remodelings in 1910) |
| Architectural style | Georgian plan |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; present use residential, and still owned by direct descendants of the original owners. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.63938, -97.67669 (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 86000203.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000545
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.