140 Years of Georgetown History
With conservation guardians like Preservation Georgetown (PG), Georgetown is known for honoring its past while adapting for the future. One of the most successful examples is Grace Heritage Center, a little white church-turned-office and public-use facility at 9th and Main streets. “It’s a great anchor point for the history of Georgetown,” PG’s Mark Hyatt says. “It’s a connection with the old and the new growth of the city.”
Built in 1881 for $2,186, Grace Heritage Center has had three homes, originally housing Grace Episcopal Church at 10th and Main streets. The Carpenter Gothic/Revival-style church moved to East University Avenue to be close to Southwestern University in 1955, until a larger church was built in 1991 and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas donated the building to the citizens of Georgetown. The City of Georgetown agreed to provide parkland for Grace’s final move and the Georgetown Heritage Society raised funds to move Grace back downtown to 817 Main Street, where it currently resides.
Thanks to a partnership the City of Georgetown, Grace was rehabilitated through a restoration project that stabilized the building, replaced the insulation, installed a modern heating system, added a central air conditioning system, built office and storage areas, installed lighting, and constructed a rear porch and access ramp. Now the building serves as PG’s office, and visitors are invited to tour the historic landmark. “When you lock up a building, it dies,” Kris Thompson with PG says. “Reusing the building is what’s going to keep it alive.”
Grace Heritage Center is open to the public from 9am to 5pm Thursdays and Fridays. Click to learn more about Preservation Georgetown and its mission to protect Georgetown’s heritage.