EDITORIAL: Castle Heights homes honored on historic National Registry
We’ve always known that Waco’s Castle Heights neighborhood was a national treasure of architectural styles and unique Southern charm.
Now it’s federally recognized as such.
The upscale patch of homes was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places last month. The roster lists culturally significant structures, spaces and objects worthy of preservation.
Of course, Castle Heights is worthy of preservation. We’re just glad others finally recognize this.
Officially called the Castle Heights Historic District, the area spans roughly from Waco Drive to Franklin Avenue and 39th Street. Its listing on the registry makes the area more attractive for tourism and eligible for federal historic preservation incentives. Although there are no direct tax benefits from a registry listing, experts tell the Trib that a listing almost always helps a community economically.
That could parlay into more dollars for Waco. And that’s welcome at this economic juncture.
The neighborhood — the first in Waco to be added to this prestigious roster — has had a long and plentiful history. Indeed, the Texas Historical Commission assisted in the nomination of the district, citing its importance to the history of Waco and its collection of mid-20th century homes that display popular suburban architectural motifs.
Building began at Castle Heights in the 1920s at the height of the newly booming automobile industry and during a time of relative economic prosperity. Despite the Great Depression, homeowners still managed to erect grand structures and kept adding to the area for decades through the 1970s.
That in itself was a feat. Historians note that most subdivisions build out quickly. Not Castle Heights. (It’s named, incidentally, for the nearby Cottonland Castle, circa 1890s, and the area’s higher land elevation.)
Owning a home in Castle Heights has always been the height of Central Texas home ownership fashion.
That holds today, now more than ever.
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