Carrollton, TX Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Section 133.21 of the Carrollton Code of Ordinances lets the city designate historic landmarks, historic districts, and cultural markers to protect the community's architectural, historical, and cultural heritage. The City Manager appoints a Historic Preservation Officer to administer the program under Zoning Ordinance article XX.3, plus a Museum and Historic Preservation Staff Liaison who coordinates with the Museum and Historic Advisory Committee, known as MHAC, which meets under chapter 34.

An applicant for a historic landmark designation must show the property already carries National or State historical recognition, or must score at least two points against the ordinance's criteria for structures, locations, events, or persons, such as embodying a distinctive architectural style or being associated with a person who significantly contributed to the community. Every claim of significance requires source verification, and a marker or text panel placed on private property needs the written permission of the current owner. Subjects generally must be at least 50 years old, though a historic event can be marked after 30 years, and the city may waive the age rule for topics of overwhelming importance.

Once a complete application is filed at least 10 days before MHAC's next meeting, the committee reviews it and, if it approves, forwards a recommendation to City Council that explains the nomination's significance, its historic integrity, and the proposed marker or display format. City Council designation is recorded by resolution, and the staff liaison then decides the text, manufacturing, and placement of the marker. A designation can be removed later through the same process used to create it, and larger Historic Preservation Overlay Districts are governed separately under the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.