University Avenue-Elm Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Five late Victorian houses on East University Avenue and Elm Street in Georgetown, Texas, form this small residential district, built between 1889 and 1900 on generous lots with broad lawns. The wood frame homes show Queen Anne, Eastlake and Georgian Revival influences, including ridge rows, turned porch columns, jigsaw bargeboards and, at 308 East University, an Ionic-columned portico added around 1900. Dr. Robert Stewart Hyer designed the house at 304 East University, and the C. S. Belford Lumber Company built the three on Elm Street. Each was built for a figure in local life: a Southwestern University dean, a merchant and realtor, a mayor and alderman, a wholesale grocer and trail driver, and a banker. The group is valued because the neighborhood has changed little in about eighty years, and all five remain private residences in good condition. Three have been designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its intact concentration of late Victorian houses showing Queen Anne, Eastlake and Georgian Revival influences, with fine craftsmanship in ridge rows, turned posts, jigsaw brackets and bargeboards. The houses were built for prominent Georgetown citizens and have kept the same scale and character for about eighty years. Three of the five are Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks.
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 79003025, listed December 6, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. University and Elm Sts., Georgetown |
|---|---|
| County | Williamson County |
| Listed | December 6, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003025 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Dr. Robert Stewart Hyer (architect, 304 East University); C. S. Belford Lumber Company (builder of the three Elm Street houses) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian with Queen Anne, Eastlake and Georgian Revival influences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The five houses are well maintained and still serve as private residences, as they did originally. All are described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 30.62914, -97.67203 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 79003025.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999768
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.