Georgetown Geography

Cynthia with a new friend

We’ve driven through Georgetown many times on our way to the southern part of the state. From the highway you can see parts of the city, including some of the domed buildings. This time we actually stopped and played in this lovely old town. If you’re planning a visit, check the sports schedules for Georgetown University and for the University of Texas; these activities have a rather negative impact on being able to find places to stay, eat, and visit.




This area of Texas has been inhabited for thousands of years, quite possibly from as early as 11,500 BC – or at least that’s what the Clovis Points indicate. One of the most exciting finds, actually made due to

Zebra sculpture

drilling by the Texas Department of Transportation, was the ‘The Leanderthal Lady’; this skeleton is dated at about 8500 BC. The people were evidently a Paleo-Indian culture linked to the Clovis culture. More remains were found in the area in middens along the San Gabriel River; unfortunately these have been covered by Granger Lake. Since these early Native Americans, other people occupied the area. The Tonkawas worked flint to use as they hunted buffalo; they transitioned to hunting with horses in the 1700s, and also adopted rifles. Kiowa, Mayeye, Tawakoni, and Yojuanes were living in the area when the earliest Anglo settlements appeared. The Comanches stayed in the area, raiding settlements until the 1860s.

Not long before Texas became a state, early pioneers from Sweden and other parts of the country were attracted to the abundance of timber and

Glasscock building

good, clear water that were in the area. George Washington Glasscock had some land he decided to donate for the creation of a town. These early settlers lobbied the state legislature to create Williamson County with Georgetown as the county seat, and it remains so today. For most of the 1800s and 1900s the residents farmed and ranched, particularly with the Shawnee Trail and the Missouri Pacific, and the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroads coming through Georgetown. The dominant crop was cotton and Williamson County was the top producer of this commodity. The creation of Southwestern University in 1873, along with these railroads made Georgetown economics grow. This growth remained slow but constant until the sprawl of Austin drove folks north to Georgetown; by 2008 Georgetown was named the second best city, nationally, to ‘live and launch’ new businesses. By 2017 Georgetown have become a ‘green city’ getting 100% of its power from either wind or solar farms.

Wandering through downtown we were pleased to find that there was a street fair in progress with venders and some critters for me to hug; Dave

Williamson County
Courthouse

was delighted that I refrained from hugging the goat. In the middle of the historic part of town is the Williamson County Courthouse. It was designed by Charles Henry Page in 1909, and exhibits Beaux-Arts architecture, depending on who you read. In front of the courthouse is a rather large monument to the leaders of the Civil War. On street corners around the courthouse are sculptures that represent a variety of styles of art; are all interesting.













There are some other historical buildings in Georgetown, not the least of which is the Main Building at Southwestern University. Formed in 1873,

Cullen Building

Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school used to be affiliated with the United Methodist Church with a nonsectarian curriculum and now offers 40 bachelor's degrees in the arts, sciences, fine arts, and music as well as interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs. There is also strong intermural sports program, including Lacrosse.  The Hugh Roy and Lillie Cullen Building (once called the Administration Building) was built in 1898 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style; it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although the Cullen Building currently houses the administration, and classrooms, it once held the auditorium, chapel, gymnasium, and library.






Another lovely late 1800s building is the First United Methodist Church. It was built of native limestone that was hand-cut on this site. Robert S. Hyer, while a Southwestern University physics professor, became the

First United Methodist
Church

architect and supervisor, creating this church with the traditional Greek cross floor plan. However, the Georgetown Mission was the precursor of the church and was formed in 1849 as a part of the Texas Conference. The mission had eighteen appointments in two counties. As was common at the time, the plans for the current church were drawn in 1891 but the actual building wasn’t completed until 1896.








Georgetown is full of historical buildings, many of which are on the National Register. It also, being close to Austin, has plenty of shopping, places to stay, and restaurants. At times the traffic is irritating, but that’s not uncommon in urban places. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.

Craig Building

Where we stayed:

Three and one-half carrots

Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center (1101

L to R: Bedroom, Bath

Woodlawn Avenue, Georgetown, TX 78628, 737-444-2700 is a new offering from the hotel chain and has what you would expect in a modern hotel room: free Wi-Fi, iPod docks, and flat-screen TVs. Parking is complimentary. The beds were comfortable, as was the bathroom, however the pillows were mushy. The rooms are clean, as are all of the public areas. Although this is a nice place, it’s overpriced – as are most places to stay in the area.

What we ate:

Four carrots

Monument Café (500 S Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-930-9586) is an upscale diner that ‘serves organic and natural fare, with daily

Top L to R: Menu, Fruit
Bottom L to R: Grits with eggs, bacon, and
pecan pancake; Pecan and banana French
toast

farmer's market and weekend live music in beer garden’. Its sister restaurant is El Monumento. Food and service were very good. When our food didn’t come out as quickly as the waitress thought it should, she brought us some complimentary fruit. We both had enough food for a couple of meals, but Dave really enjoyed the grits. They were made with yellow cornmeal and had a unique flavor; he’s ready to go back to the restaurant just for those.

Three and one-half carrots

El Monumento (205 W 2nd St, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-591-7866)

Left T to B: Menu, Queso, Margarita
Center T to B: Salsa, Taco bowl
Right T to B: Chicken enchilada, Taco plate, beef
enchilada

advertises ‘traditional Mexican fare in a roomy, refined space with an interior courtyard, patio, and open kitchen’. Some of their offerings are a bit different. I had a taco bowl that was tasty and different from what I’d had before. Steve, Andi, and Dave had enchiladas, and tacos that were fairly traditional. The queso was tasty, but runny; the salsa was nicely spiced. On a Friday night, the place was packed so service was slow. The Margaritas were very strong, but flavorful; their frozen drinks are actually blended making the beverage more like a slushy than a snow cone. My complaint was, of course, the restaurant is too loud and rather expensive.

Three carrots

Dos Salsas (1104 S Main St, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-930-2343) is listed as a ‘Bustling, family-operated eatery serving Tex-Mex specialties

Top L to R: Menu, Queso, Breakfast taco
Bottom L to R: Chips and salsa, Divorced eggs, Migas

and margaritas in a contemporary setting’. We visited for breakfast. One the menu, and the waitress reiterated it, was the comment that the red salsa was very spicy. Andi loved it since it made her eyeballs sweat. Again, the queso was a bit runny, and neither did it have much flavor. I was fine with my breakfast taco since it included nopalitos. Andi ordered ‘divorced eggs’ and said they were okay. That was pretty much the same reaction Dave and Steve had to their migas. The service was good and the café was comfortable. Prices were reasonable.

Burro meets Dave

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