If you’ve been on the downtown Georgetown Square, you’ve walked by the historic white chapel on the corner of E. 9th and S. Main Street.
And if you’ve passed by that old church turned community center, you’ve also come within feet of the organization dedicated to preserving the history and heart of Georgetown, TX.
“Preservation Georgetown has a mission of promoting, preserving, sharing the heritage, architecture and history of Georgetown,” Mickie Ross said. “From the beginning of Preservation Georgetown back in 1977, when we were known as Georgetown Heritage Society, our point was to help more people understand the community, learn about the community and appreciate the community. So, the community’s come a long way since1977, and we are proud to have been a part of that.”
The organization, Ross said, is involved in a variety of activities and efforts to accomplish that mission and there’s something for every age, life stage and interest. Whether it’s the annual historic holiday home tour, having volunteers dress up and speak as famous, and sometimes not so famous Georgetownians of days past, hosting children’s educational activities or simply offering tours of the chapel turned heritage center.
“We want people to know that we’re here and we’re here to share the stories, and to get people involved and engaged in the community they live in,” Ross said. “Georgetown is definitely a unique, charming place to be, and we want to perpetuate that charm and help people understand that charm.”
History is everywhere in Georgetown, Ross added, and Preservation Georgetown loves partnering with other organizations like The Williamson Museum to share those tid-bits of history and charm with visitors and residents alike.
“I think we are so surrounded by it that it only makes sense to understand a little bit about who those people were and what they did, and how they impacted us,” Ross said.
This year, the organization is thrilled to bring back the Historic Holiday Home Tour which has been on hiatus due to the pandemic. The annual extravaganza features a variety of historic Georgetown homes decked out in lights and decorations, and also sporting their own unique histories.
“There you’ll have an opportunity to see five different homes and how people live their lives in those historic homes,” Ross said. “We’re going to do a big announcement of all those homes in the next couple of weeks.”
In addition to hosting the tour each year, Preservation Georgetown is also actively involved in providing grants to homeowners and business owners to preserve their historic buildings, allowing the public to enjoy the unique charm of the community’s historic district for years to come. In the last six years alone, the organization has given out roughly $70,000 in grants, Ross said.
These grants, and all the other work Preservation Georgetown does to educate the community are made possible by everyday residents and business owners who support the organization’s efforts through membership. Membership in the organization isn’t just a one way street either as Preservation Georgetown members get access to a variety of perks.
“We are a nonprofit, so membership is hour we fund what’s going on in the organization,” Ross said. “Membership start as low as $35 [a year] and go up to a $400 [a year] benefactor membership…we try to give back to a lot of the folks that give to us.”
Tours of the Grace Heritage Center, where Preservation Georgetown is based out of, are available frequently throughout the month and updates about their upcoming events can be found on Facebook or their website.
Learn more about Preservation Georgetown, or sign up to be a member or a volunteer, by visiting preservationgeorgetown.org.
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