Steele Store-Makemson Hotel Building
Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built about 1870 by M.E. Steele on the site of an early log hotel, this is one of Georgetown's oldest commercial structures. During Steele's ownership it housed a mercantile and a bank. Emma Dickman Makemson later operated a hotel here from the early 1900s until 1924. Exhibiting influences of the Italianate style, the building features a truncated roof, corner entry, ornate frieze below the roofline, and finely crafted stonework. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1988
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built around 1870 by M.E. Steele on the site of an early log hotel, this is one of Georgetown's oldest commercial buildings. Under Steele it held a mercantile store and a bank, and in the early 1900s Emma Dickman Makemson ran a hotel here until 1924. Its Italianate touches—a truncated roof, corner entry, and finely worked stone—mark the ambition of the growing town square.
Why it matters
It shows how a single early building could shelter commerce, banking, and hospitality as a frontier settlement matured into a county seat.
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Related people
- · Emma Dickman Makemson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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