AUSTIN, Texas —The Gatesville Downtown Historic District in Coryell County was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places with the assistance of the Texas Historical Commission (THC).
Noted for its historical significance, the new district joins other properties around the state with National Register status.
Founded in 1854, Gatesville boasts W.C. Dodson's 1897 Romanesque Revival Coryell County courthouse anchoring 12 blocks of commercial architecture. The district includes 87 resources dating from the late nineteenth century through to architecture from the early 1970s.
The arrival of the Texas & St. Louis Railway in 1882 transformed Gatesville into a regional commercial hub that served farmers throughout the county. and features many one- and two-story brick commercial buildings from that era. But Gatesville has preserved other notable civic resources that represent important stories from its past, including the 1935-37 WPA-era City Hall designed by Birch Easterwood, the 1936-37 Post Office, and Raby Park with its historic bathhouse and recreational structures.
The district's evolution continued through the mid-twentieth century as downtown businesses adapted to serve personnel from nearby Fort Hood and employees of the state's correctional facilities. Many buildings exhibit period modernizations that reflect the community’s continued investment in the commercial district.
About the Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is the state's official historic preservation agency. It preserves, operates, and manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. The Texas Historical Commission's mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov.
About the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources deemed worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a federal program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect the country's historic and archeological resources. The National Register includes more than 3,300 listings in Texas. Income-producing properties are also eligible for federal tax benefits for sympathetic rehabilitation work.
To learn more about the National Register of Historic Places, visit thc.texas.gov/nrhp.
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