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Georgetown family adapts to change while preserving their legacy
Though they sold the property roughly two years ago, Glenn has stayed closely involved with the development process. Along with streets being named for family members, the development will be called "Patterson Ranch."
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Elizabeth’s Place, Kay’s Path, and Glenn’s Passage. Each street in an up-and-coming development off County Road 110 in Georgetown is named for a specific someone.
"Grandpa’s street is over there in front of the elementary school, my dad’s is the next street over and my mom’s is right here in front of us," said Glenn Patterson as he showed around the property.
Each of the people represented are Pattersons.
"I think there are 13 or 14 names that have been approved by the city and county," said Patterson.
A couple dozen or so names that go back three generations.
"75 years ago, approximately, my grandparents bought the Patterson Ranch here," said Patterson.
His grandfather, Sam, eventually chose to settle in Georgetown after serving in World War I. He went on to raise seven children with his wife, Iva, on the Patterson Ranch.
"My dad was the youngest one of the children," said Patterson. "He purchased the land, and I was raised here from a baby."
It was quite a different Georgetown back then. Patterson talked about fishing in the "ponds" that were used to hold water for the cattle and biking down gravel roads into town.
"When we got a paved road, that was like, ‘wow,’" he said. "Everything was dirt and gravel out here."
Fast-forward to 1995, Patterson's father passed away, and the property fell into the hands of Patterson, his mother and his sister. They eventually sold part of the 100-plus-acre property to be used for a new school, Everett Williams Elementary.
"Then after that, we just started getting hammered by a lot of developers wanting to purchase our property for residential development," he said.
In 2022, data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that Georgetown was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. for cities with a population above 50,000. The growth is something Patterson has observed first-hand, not only as a longtime resident of Georgetown, but as a commercial real estate agent.
Ultimately, he and his family made the decision to sell the entire property under some conditions.
"It is a bittersweet thing, it's very emotional to release something that, you know, your grandpa and your grandmother had and then my aunts and uncles were raised here as well," said Patterson. "We decided, let's do this, but let's do it kind of in our terms and also do the right thing for not only the developer but for the City of Georgetown."
Though they sold the property roughly two years ago, Glenn has stayed closely involved with the development process. Along with streets being named for family members, the development will be called "Patterson Ranch."
"When I’m dead and gone, my kids and grandkids can bring their friends around and say, ‘Hey, this is where my grandpa was raised and my great-great-grandpa and great-great-great-grandpa.’"
Between the two developers, Perry Homes and Ashton Woods, more than 500 new homes are anticipated. Model homes are expected to go up in the next couple of weeks.
The original Patterson home has been moved across the street.