Historic Districts: The Brick And Mortar Of History
Texas communities, both large and small, harbor an abundance of historic districts.
Some have achieved local designation, some national recognition, some have flourished under revitalization funding and programs such as the Texas Main Street Program and others still stand as diamonds in the rough.
But what constitutes a historic district here in Texas? Typically a district possesses a significant collection of structures united historically or aesthetically by design or physical proximity. A Texas historic district can encompass an avenue of commercial buildings that represent a particularly important era of trade and commerce for the state such as the brick and iron storefronts along Galveston’s Strand or Georgetown’s collection of Victorian-era structures around Courthouse Square. Sometimes a historic district refers to a more industrial past such as the Hidalgo Pumphouse Heritage and Discovery Center with its irrigation works and canal system. The term also often refers to estates or farms like the six-acre Eisenhower’s Birthplace State Historic Site or includes rural residential homesteads like the Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Site in the historic district of Paris. Sometimes the designation refers to a collection of well-preserved and continually-utilized structures like the Fair Park Texas Centennial Buildings in Dallas or entire community blocks like those in Rio Grande City where 144 properties help define one of the most important and oldest communities in Texas. Why not look for the historic district in your town? Establishing historic districts across the state have not only benefited district communities economically but helped to preserve important links to our shared past.
Lakes Trail Region
African American Museum in the Historic Quakertown House
317 West Mulberry Street Denton, TX 76201 (940) 349-2850 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Big Bend National Park
Hwy 385 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 (432) 477-2251 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Bishop Arts District — Dallas’ Most Independent Neighborhood
419 N Bishop Ave Dallas, TX 75208 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Bonham Walkabout Tour on the Square
327 N. Main St. Bonham, TX 75418 (903) 583-5947 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Bremond Block Historic District
Between West Seventh, West Eighth, Guadalupe, and San Antonio streets Austin, TX 78701 512-478-0098 or 866-462-8784 Website
Brazos Trail Region
Calvert National Register Historic District
704 S. Main Street Calvert, TX 77837 (979) 364-2559
Mountain Trail Region
Castolon Historic District, Big Bend National Park
Hwy 385 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 (432) 477-2251 Website
Brazos Trail Region
Chisholm Trail Historic District
500 Chisholm Trail Road Round Rock, TX 78664 Website
Forest Trail Region
Ginocchio Historic District
800 N Washington Marshall, TX 75671 (903) 702-7777 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Clarksville Historic District
West Lynn and 10th Street Austin, TX 78701 (512) 441-5212 Website
Independence Trail Region
Military Plaza Historic District
100 Military Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 207-6700 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Tenth Street Historic District
Located between 8th and East Clarendon, Plum and I-35. Dallas, TX 75203 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Stockyards National Historic District
Main Street and East Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76164 (817) 624-4741 Website
Independence Trail Region
Strand National Historic District
2100 Strand Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 762-6100 Website
Mountain Trail Region
San Elizario Historic District
1501 Main Street San Elizario, TX 79849 915-851-0093 or 915-851-9997 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Deep Ellum Historic District
2500 Block Elm, 2509-2513 Main Street Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 984-7300 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Fort McIntosh Historic District
West End Washington Street at Laredo Community College Laredo, TX 78040 (956) 721-5140 Website
Forest Trail Region
Zion Hill Historic District
200 N Lanana Roughly bounded by Park Street, the Lanana Creek, Oak Grove Cemetery, and North Lanana Street Nacogdoches, TX 75961 (936) 560-4443 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Queen City Heights Historic District
Bounded by Eugene, Cooper, Latimer, Kynard and Dildock Streets Dallas, TX 75215 214-421-4500 ext. 101 Website
Pecos Trail Region
Del Rio Cemeteries Historic District
Roughly bounded by West 2nd St., Johnson Blvd., and St. Peter’s St. Del Rio, TX 78840 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Rio Vista Farm Historic District
800 Rio Vista Rd. Socorro, TX 79927 (915) 860-8615 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Rio Grande City Downtown Historic District
Roughly bounded by Corpus, Second, Wimpy, Mirasoles, and Avasolo streets Rio Grande City, TX 78582 (956) 487-0672 Website
Tropical Trail Region
San Agustín de Laredo Historic District
Zaragoza Street San Agustin Plaza Laredo, TX 78040 (956) 523-8817 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Hidalgo Viejo (Old Hidalgo) Historic District
Flora and 1st St Hidalgo, TX 78557 (956) 843-2734 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
King William and Lavaca Historic Districts
107 King William Street San Antonio , TX 78204 (210) 224-6163 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Hot Springs Historic District — Big Bend National Park
Hot Springs Historic District Hwy 385 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 (432) 477-2251 Website
Plains Trail Region
U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District
Sixth Ave. between Georgia & Western Sts. Amarillo, TX 79106 (800) 692-1338 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Main and Military Plazas
Bounded by West Houston St., North, Santa Rosa Ave., West Nueva St., and North St. Mary’s St. San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 207-6700 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Gingerbread Trail Tour of Homes
201 South College Street Waxahachie, TX 75165 (972) 937-0681 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Honey Grove Historic Home Driving Tour
402 6th Street Honey Grove, TX 75446 (903) 378-7211 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House
2618 Warren Ave. Wheatley Place Historic District Dallas, TX 75215 (214) 670-8637 Website
Forest Trail Region
Historic Nacogdoches Walking Tour
200 E. Main St. Nacogdoches, TX 75961 (888) 653-3788 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive
130 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76164 (817) 336-4373 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Cowtown Opry — Cowboy Concerts
131 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76106 (817) 366-9675 Website
Plains Trail Region
An Early Phillips 66 Service Station in Texas
218 W. First Street (Old Route 66) McLean, TX 79057 Website
Pecos Trail Region
Historic Fort Stockton
301 E. 3rd Street Fort Stockton, TX 79735 (432) 336-2400 Website
Lakes Trail Region
State Fair of Texas
3921 Martin Luther King Blvd Dallas, TX 75210 (214) 565-9931 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
La Villita Historic Arts Village
418 Villita Street San Antonio , TX 78205 (210) 207-8614 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Pike Park/Little Mexico
2800 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 670-4100 Website
Plains Trail Region
Lamesa Farm Workers Community
One mile south of Lamesa on Hwy. 87 Los Ybañez, TX 79331 Website
Pecos Trail Region
Fort Clark
U.S. Hwy 90 and Fort Clark Road Brackettville, TX 78832 (830) 563-2493 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Fort Sam Houston — Fort Sam Houston Museum, U.S. Army Medical Department Museum, Randolph Army Airfield
Fort Sam Houston San Antonio, TX 78234 AMEDD: 210-221-6358, Fort Sam Houston Museum: 210-221-1886 Website
Mountain Trail Region
El Segundo Barrio
Roughly bounded by CanAm Highway, Cesar E. Chavez Border Hwy., South Cotton St., and South Kansas St. El Paso, TX 79901 (800) 351-6024 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Fort Brown
80 Fort Brown UT-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 541-5560 Website
Tropical Trail Region
San Agustín Catholic Cathedral
201 San Agustin Avenue Laredo, TX 78040 (956) 722-1382 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Historic Downtown Granbury
201 East Pearl Street Granbury, TX 76048 (817) 573-5299 Website
Brazos Trail Region
Palace Theater
810 South Austin Avenue Georgetown, TX 78626 512-869-7469 ext. 1 Website
Brazos Trail Region
Prosperity Bank
109 W. Washington Ave. Navasota, TX 77868 (936) 825-2274 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
African American Cultural Heritage District
1152 San Bernard Street Austin, TX 78702 (512) 505-8738 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Dallas World Aquarium
1801 North Griffin Street Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 720-2224 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Magoffin Home State Historic Site
1120 Magoffin Ave. El Paso, TX 79901 (915) 533-5147 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Bywaters Park
300 South Main Street Paris, TX 75460 800-727-4789 or 903-784-2501 Website