When it comes to preserving historic buildings and homes, Preservation Georgetown Board President Mickie Ross says it’s not just about maintaining a building, it’s about maintaining Georgetown’s identity. “If we lose the historic part of the community, we lose a lot of our past. That historic nature is what gives our town an identity other towns don’t have, and protecting it is important to the whole community.”
Preservation Georgetown has been doing just that since 1976, when America’s bicentennial celebration sparked a nationwide preservation movement. Originally known as the Georgetown Heritage Society, Preservation Georgetown educates people about the city’s history, hosts an annual historic home tour, and helps fund preservation projects. Some of the events enjoyed by residents today that were begun by Preservation Georgetown include May Fair (the Red Poppy Festival), Visitors Center (now run by the city), and the collection of historic photos and documents available at Southwestern University.
GRANTS FOR HOMES
Since launching the grants program in 2016, Preservation Georgetown has awarded more than $70,000 to homeowners to restore and rehabilitate older homes and buildings in the historic districts. Georgetown’s two historic districts include the Downtown Overlay District, which includes the historic downtown and surrounding commercial and residential areas; and the Old Town Overlay District, which includes mostly residential areas between Downtown and Southwestern University and south to parts of 17th, 18th and 19th Streets. Previous projects have included foundation repair at Wesley Chapel A.M.E. Church and St. John’s United Methodist Church, chimney and window work at the Taylor-Cooper House, and awning restoration at the Love Building that houses Barons Creek Tasting Room & Wine Lounge on the Square.
Preservation Georgetown will announce the new grants program cycle in May—Preservation Month.
In the meantime, Preservation Fund chair Jerry McCulley offers historic home improvement tips:
- Water penetration is the enemy of a home, so be sure to have an annual inspection done.
- If you have a pier and beam foundation, it may need adjustment if there are cracks in the siding or around the windows. Have a professional check the condition.
- If the exterior paint is deteriorated, clean it with a minimum abrasive cleaner and low pressure wash. Replace deteriorated caulk to seal the outside walls and then re-paint it.
- Windows should be repaired by replacing broken glass as needed. Re-glaze as needed, insure that the frames are in good condition, then scrape, caulk and paint.
- Clean the hardware, both interior and exterior, and finish with a light cleaning using very fine steel wool.
- For floors that get cold in the winter, consider strapping mineral steel wool between the joists, as this will provide some protection from moisture penetration.
Visit historic.georgetown.org to see if your home is identified as historic. To learn more about Preservation Georgetown, go to PreservationGeorgetown.org.