BELTON, TX — Wednesday's weather delayed a big celebration in Belton.
City leaders had planned to celebrate the town's first official historic landmark.
Even though they put off the ribbon cutting for better weather, special recognition from the City aims to help preserve the town's story.
When Robert Jordan gives directions to his home, no one ever gets lost.
"You tell people that are lookin' to come by, "We live by the giant cement water pipe in Belton,"" he joked.
The landmark to which he refers to sits across the street from his home, and can even be seen from distant cities. It also just became an official landmark designated by the City of Belton.
"It's an opportunity for people that are proud of their property, and want some sort of zoning protection. They can apply for one of these landmark designations and have some sort of protection with that," explained Paul Romer with the City of Belton.
In other words, it protects a piece of property from a developer's bulldozer by making those who want to make changes jump through extra hoops to make them.
Belton has had the actual zoning designation on its books since 2012. This is the first time the city has put it to use.
What makes landmarks like this so important to places like Belton? Well, each and every one of them has their own story to tell, and it's the collection of those stories that make places like Belton unique.
So what's the story here?
"It's an early water tower in the City. There was actually another water tower that replaced it that has since come down, but this one kind of endures," said Romer.
Romer said Belton has plans for its first landmark.
"Within two years, we plan to have a city park there," he explained.
Everywhere you look in Belton, you can see renovation and restoration helping tell the story of the Bell County seat.
Two Belton businesses, The Cochran, Blair & Potts department store and Bold Republic Brewing, even made the Texas Downtown Association finalist list of best businesses.
All things that make Robert Jordan proud.
"History everywhere needs to be preserved," he said.
Because he believes stories from landmarks like the Belton Standpipe tell a story too.
