BROWNSVILLE, Texas (July 17, 2019) – The Central Brownsville Historic District has been designated a National Historic District by the National Park Service (NPS). The Central Brownsville Historic District is bounded by East Levee, East 10th, East Monroe, and East 15th/East 14th Streets as well as a two-block extension along the 800 and 900 blocks of East Elizabeth Street.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
In January, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) endorsed the Brownsville Planning & Development Services Department’s application for placement on the National Historic District Designation.
National Historic District designation provides the following benefits:
- Valuable consideration in planning for Federal, Federally licensed, and Federally assisted projects
- Eligibility for certain tax provisions -- Owners of properties listed in the National Register may be eligible for a 20% investment tax credit for the certified rehabilitation of income-producing certified historic structures such as commercial, industrial, or rental residential buildings
- Qualification for Federal grants for historic preservation, when funds are available.
“The Central Brownsville Historic District is locally significant and meets National Register Criteria A and C under the areas of Architecture, Commerce and Community Planning & Development,” said National Register of Historic Places Historician Paul L. Lusigan. “The district resources reflect the commercial growth of the historic townsite into a major regional center of trade and commerce.”
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