Recording History, Conserving Culture: Southeast Denton Historic Resource Survey

Historic resource surveys help identify eligible historic buildings and landmarks for historic designation. The findings from this survey project could lead to recommendations for National Register, state, and/or local nominations that help maintain the neighborhood’s character.

Historic resource surveys help identify historic buildings and landmarks that may be eligible for designation and represent an important step in advancing the Southeast Denton Area Plan’s goals to honor and preserve the neighborhood’s architectural and cultural heritage.

The final project task will be the preparation and submission of a new nomination to the National Register of Historic Places or National Historic Landmark Program. The National Register of Historic Places is the "official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

While the survey may identify properties that meet criteria for historic designation nomination, it does not require or obligate any property owner to pursue it. Participation in the designation process is entirely voluntary.

The Historic Resource Survey process will occur in several parts, listed in the timeline below.

The survey will be produced with assistance from the National Park Services's Underrepresented Communities Grant Program which was awarded to the City in 2025. The grant supports the survey, inventory, and potential designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks.

Project Timeline

The Historic Resource Survey will include five phases:

Project Kickoff: Community Meeting on December 3rd

November to December

Informing residents about the survey, detailing the evaluation process, and outlining the community benefits of historic preservation. Will include Planning Staff conducting outreach at the MLK Rec Center and the American Legion Senior Center (ALH), as well as a holding a Community Engagement meeting on December 3rd at ALH where residents can learn about the survey, speak with staff and SWCA consultants, and bring in historical materials to be scanned or photographed.

Phase 2: Documentation and Inventory

December 4-6

SWCA historic preservation experts will conduct field documentation of homes and churches in Southeast Denton constructed before 1981. SWCA surveyors will walk the neighborhood, wearing high-visibility vests labeled "SWCA," to record architectural details and styles.

Phase 3: Research and Interviews

December to February

Deep-dive research into the community and individual structures using oral history interviews, deed records, historic newspapers, maps, city directories, and local histories.

ACTIVITY: Historic Photos of Southeast Denton - Share the Story

Do you recognize any faces or places? Have a story to tell about one or more of them? If so, please participate in the activities below! Collection provided by Denton County

The Southeast Denton Historic Resource Survey is being supported in part by the Underrepresented Communities Gran from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.