Historic Preservation

Fredericksburg was founded May 8, 1846. Immigrant families, from what is now known as Germany, were given a town lot measuring 100' x 200' and a 10 acre outlot. Most families first build a log home or half-timbered fachwerk and later more substantial stone homes. Many of these homes are still standing. Subsequent generations also left their mark on the built environment as they built their businesses along Main Street (formerly known as San Saba). It is the duty of the Historic Preservation Officer and the Historic Review Board to protect historic properties within the local historic district and individual landmarks.
 

ATTENTION!

In light of the current COVID-19 situation, the City is practicing social distancing and requests that applicants submit Certificates of Appropriateness via e-mail to Anna Hudson at ahudson@fbgtx.org. The application can be found below. Once an application is submitted and reviewed, Ms. Hudson will create an invoice that can be paid online. All supporting documentation such as photos or drawings can be attached to the e-mail as jpegs or PDFs. If you have questions about an application please e-mail Anna or call her at 210-860-0341 during regular business hours 7:30 am-4:30 p.m.

Certificate of Appropriateness Application.

To pay for Certificate of Appropriateness online please visit the Payment Portal. 

Alterations to historic properties should be done in such a way so as to retain original material and features. The purpose of the adopted Fredericksburg Historic Guidelines is to provide information on rehabilitation and restoration to property owners BEFORE any decisions or work is done. The guidelines are based on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. When making a recommendation to the HRB, staff refers to both the local design guidelines and national standards.
Link to Design Guidelines (1997 version)

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***DRAFT of New Design Guidelines and Standards***May 2020


MAP OF HISTORIC DISTRICT EXPANSION ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL JUNE 17, 2019


Map of Historic District 2005-2019


List of Individual Landmarks Outside of Historic District.

In 2017, City Council hired the first Historic Preservation Officer to oversee changes to historic properties. Properties located within the historic district and individual landmarks must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness for all exterior changes.

2003 Survey with Ratings
The Fredericksburg Historic Resources Survey Update is primarily a documentation and
evaluation of all resources, regardless of age and architectural integrity, within the
boundaries of the Fredericksburg Historic District. Each primary resource, with the exception of empty lots,
was evaluated and assigned a rating based on its current architectural integrity and, if known, historical and cultural
value. These evaluations reflect an assessment of each property's relative significance
within a local context. These assessments should not be considered static, but can and
should be changed to reflect the evolving status of properties. Since the scope of work did
not include any site-specific historical research, the priority assessments may be upgraded
if future research reveals significant historical or cultural associations. A property's rating
may also change if future rehabilitation efforts or alterations affect its historic
architectural integrity.

Historic Preservation Ordinance - Updated 2017
The Historic Preservation Ordinance and Design Guidelines are an effort by the City to maintain economic vitality, to protect property values, and to preserve the integrity and character of the historic properties in a manner of quality indicative of Fredericksburg. 

Historic Review Board