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For Preservation Newsletter of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance May 1996
Volume 12, Number 1
Move to Market Square - It's the Hip Thing to Do Revitalization of downtown's Market Square is getting another enormous boost as two longvacant historic high rises are being converted into loft condominiums and condominiums the Hermann Estate Building and Union National Bank.
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The Hermann Lofts project, at 204 Travis, has been a longtime aspiration of developer Doug Crosson, whose company, Threshold Interests, has joined forces with Byers Street Properties, a Denver loft condominium developer. 220 Main, is a development of Q-Ratio Texas Inc. The eight-story Hermann Lofts will include 32 units, which are selling between $90,000 and $290,000 depending on size and floor location. The renovation is projected to cost $2.5 million. The 220 Main project will convert the 12-story building into a combination residentiaVcommercial development with a two-story penthouse. Unit prices will range from $120,000 to $500,000, and the projected cost is projected at $10 million. The announcement of both projects comes on the heels of the rehabilitation of the W.L. Foley Building, which contains two loft apartments on the second story and two art galleries at street level. And just three blocks away the Hogg Building was converted into loft units last year by developer Randall
Davis, who has shown major, mainstream loft projects in historic downtown can be done. "We are excited about the Hermann Lofts, as we believe the project plays an integral role in Houstonians' renewed commitment to this great city's rich history," Crosson says. Crosson's typical loft will sport new electrical plumbing systems, modern kitchens and baths, hardwood floors along with the exposed concrete, brick and plaster surfaces. Each loft will come with a reserved parking space and storage unit within the building. Some of the interesting historic detailing being renovated in the common areas will be the marble tile floor and plaster relief historic ceiling of the main lobby and the cast iron canopy facing Travis. The history of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is undoubtedly worth saving. Built in 1917 from financing set aside by millionaire philanthropist George Hermann, the building was erected to answer the need for more office space for the cotton industry. Cotton was the cash crop at the time, and brokers, exporters and classers had outgrown the Old Cotton Exchange Building which shares the north wall with the Hermann Estate Building.
When the Hermann Estate Building was completed for $100,000, it was the largest building built in the city that year. It was designed by architects F.S. Glover and Sons. The iron sidewalk canopy is one of the few remaining examples of this common practice in the city. Construction is scheduled to start early this summer, and the project is expected to be ready for move-in the summer of 1997. For more information, call 523-1122. Q-Ratio, developer of 220 Main, has developed properties in Houston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Orlando. It has also completed more than 1 million square feet of historical renovations in Canada, mainly in downtown Toronto. The residential units at 220 Main will be more like high-rise apartment living units than loft spaces. Some of the unit highlights will include granite kitchens and baths, security systems, fireplaces, concierge service, dry cleaning and laundry service, valet service, grocery delivery and car wash/oil change service. Historically, Union National Bank was completed in 1911 by Rice Hotel architects Mauran, Russell &. Crowell "40 days ahead of contract time." Its interior was lavishly appointed with white and green marble and
Honduran mahogany. The exterior still displays ornate terra cotta and stone trim, especially noteworthy at the cornice and column capitals. Beloved residential architect John Staub once officed in the bUilding. For more information on residential or commercial space, call 965-0494.
PRESERVATION ALLIANCE HIRES NEW DIRECTOR
Patricia S. Ekstrum, GHPA's new Executive Director
Patricia S. Ekstrum has joined the Greater Houston Preservation The Jackson Ballet has since achieved international acclaim, hosting Alliance as its new executive director. Ekstrum, who took the post in the International Ballet Competition every other year. Ekstrum grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, and always loved the January, brings an impressive resume of experience in the corporate Civil War era homes in nearby historic Natchez. She says she's long world as well as the non-profit community. "The organization is at such a critical point right now," been interested in historic architecture as a sideline hobby. "I always points out Minnette Boesel, past president who served on the wanted to be involved in it somehow," Ekstrum says. Search Committee. "We decided as a committee of board repIn her first months as GHPA executive director, Ekstrum has been resentatives that GHPA really needed someone with strong busy acclimating herself to the office, the programs and the people. For the future, in addition to following the plan set by the board, she has non-profit management skills. That was almost more important than intimate knowledge about preservation issues. We wanted great goals, especially for increasing volunteer involvement and garsomeone to be able to lead us to the next level in program and nering more corporate support. financial development. We knew the right person would be "I want to see this organization grow to become one of the major enthusiastic enough to learn all the ins and outs of preservation contributors to the betterment of life in Houston," she says. "I want us over time." to become even more well known as the group that's saving the herThe six-person Search Committee was impressed with itage of Houston." Patricia's corporate background and strong connections through her work with 3DIInternational and Treasure d St a))er ,r( Departs Insource Technology Corporation over the last 18 For the past year, GHPA's enthusiastic Office Administrator Connie years. Her strength in cost reduction measures was also appeal- Vellozzi has cheerfully and skillfully run our office. Originally starting ing. In one position, she saved her company $1 million by on a temporary baSis, Vellozzi came with great experience having renegotiating an unexpired office lease for space reductions, worked for the Bayou Bend Collection. She soon became an indispensable planning the reduced facility and auctioning off the excess member of the preservation community. As a staff of one, Vellozzi had a furnishings. At 3DII, she negotiated a lawsuit settlement challenge juggling the needs of the office and trying to direct preservation inquiries, many of them of a pressing nature. from $2 million to $25,000. "I look forward to the day when GHPA is in a position to Vellozzi and her husband, David, have been transferred to Saudi Arabia save $1 million," Boesel says. "But until then, we look forwith Aramco. We are indeed appreciative of Vellozzi's contributions and ward to benefiting from Patricia's creativity in this area." sad to see her leave. We wish them well on their new life adventure! Ekstrum loves a challenge. She says she thrives on building something out of nothing. Take the Jackson Ballet. She was a co-founder of the Jackson (MissiSSippi) Ballet School, which collected 20 members during its first year. As a board member, she helped the fledgling organization grow to a regional theater that hosted principals from the New York City Ballet. By the time Patricia left six years later, the group had grown to over 400 members. Performances grew from one night drawing 200 people to three nights of a full auditorium.
For Preservation Newsletter of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
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As I begin my term as president, I want .•.... to thank Minnette Boesel for everything ~.' . she has done for G HPA, not only in her role as president for the past year but in all the many roles she has had in this organization since its inception. She has :1(;1' i .s';.w truly been one of the guiding forces of GHPA and one of the people most responsible for the acceptance and respect that we are now beginning to enjoy within the city. We all owe her a huge debt of gratitude. This is an exciting time for us. Other cities throughout the country have long recognized preservation as a powerful tool for urban revitalization. Finally here in Houston, politicians and developers have begun to see its value as well. In just the last few weeks, two large residential developments have been announced for historic buildings in downtown - the Hermann Lofts and 220 Main, both just off Market Square. And we all hope that, by the time this newsletter reaches you, Randall Davis will have announced plans to redevelop the Rice Hotel. It's tempting to ask: Why didn't this happen sooner, before all those historic downtown buildings were torn down to become parking lots? The answer: For whatever reason, preservation just wasn't an idea whose time had come. What has changed? I suspect it has a lot to do with a change in attitude and a new respect for history as part of our cultural fabric. This change didn't happen overnight, and it didn't happen by itself. It is the culmination of years of work by dedicated volunteers. Finally, over the course of the last year or two, preservation has come to be regarded as a mainstream value, and GHPA is now viewed by a large segment of the population as a mainstream organization. The phone in the office rings constantly with people asking for advice; the neighborhoods are seeking our help in protecting their historic resources; and our Cannata Houses are featured on the cover of the city's brochure on affordable housing. We have made progress, but there is sti II much to do. There are buildings in danger; there are historic neighborhoods that have not yet been designated as historic districts, there are neighborhoods ripe for revitalization in which we could take a lead role by helping to develop affordable housing - the list goes on and on. A few people cannot do it alone - we need everyone's help . If each of you could devote as little as two hours per month volunteering for G HPA projects, we would have nearly 20,000 man-hours available. Enclosed in this newsletter is a form asking for your help as a volunteer. Please take a moment to fill it our and mail it to the office. Your willingness to help can mean a great deal to all of us! -- Anita Garten
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LOCAL HISTORICAL MARKER TO BE DESIGNED
CHRIST CHURCH REDO .
SECOND TIME AROUND .
When Christ Church Cathedral officials embarked on a $2 million rehabilitation of their 1893 worship hall, the plan was to make the redo look so natural that church members would wonder "where did they spend all this money?," says Dean Walter Taylor. Completed late last year, the job on the outside involved brick rep ointing and replacement, roof and gutter work and cleaning and strengthening of all the stained glass. Inside the High Victorian Gothic cathedral, woodwork was refinished, the pews restored. The carpet was removed and replaced with a new red oak floor to improve acoustics. Taylor says that when the floor was gone, the foundation of the second church that stood on the site could be seen below. New lighting and various mechanical systems were added and upgraded. All but three of the stained glass windows have been completed, and Taylor says those remaining including the Cathedral's prized Tiffany window - will be restored within the next two and a half years.
Linda and Charles Piserelle, who worked with GHPA to relocate and restore the Hamilton House, are at it again. They've undertaken their second major house rehabilitation project, but this time they're redoing a two-story Victorian at 2218 Caroline to become their family home. The Piserelles are sinking about $75,000 into the 1904 Waggaman House for new central air and heat, electrical and plumbing. They almost lost some of the home's most wonderful attributes shortly after they began construction when vandals broke in and stole two exceptional, carved wooden mantles and all but two of the leaded and stained glass windows. Amazingly enough, however, all of the items were returned after another downtown bUilding, which was owned by a church, suffered a similar fate and its plight was discussed on the news. When a local antique dealer saw the segment and realized he had the church's and the Piserelle's goods, he returned them all. The only thing good about the incident was that one of the mantles had already been refinished. "If it hadn't been for the church's property getting burglarized, we would have never gotten it back," says Linda.
THESE 8,000 BUDS ARE FOR YOU. Earlier this year, Anheuser Busch delivered 8,000 empty beer cans to an unusual little bungalow in Houston's inner city. This residence , the Beer Can House, is already
MAIN STREET MIRACLE. Attorney Scott Arnold knew that the distinctive Italian / .f,' '" " ' . Romanesque facade was ':" I \ .. .•• . . still left largely intact on the Sweeney &: Coombs 77· I ~'7H~~.; ~at. ~ ~1-"''!: .• i Building at 310 Main ....... ,.... .:.~~'!:.'_. .:'. ,t. , . - .,. St. , but the emergence .. .. -..' of it is still thrilling -<' •. :I .' "~.J·I·· .~ .. , " . .• d' ::I'" ....... "::" :.•.; ,c'.:;.;p ·J r" ",, ·~ ,~ "I could see passersby. ~~;r<~ out the upper story win',' .} ~~ .. -" dows that the original THE BEER CAN HOUSE facade was still there behind the 1960s conadorned with 50,000 beer cans, crete stucco," Arnold says. meticulously cut apart with the Arnold ended up having to rebuild many of the ornate tops and bottoms reassembled architectural elements that prointo a shimmering curtain of truded off the circa 1885 buildstreamers dangling from the ing, including window hoods eaves. The famous folk art monument at 222 Malone was creatand expensive cornice work, because they had been knocked ed by retired railroad upholsteroff with a hammer when the er John Milkovisch, who spent stucco was added. He also 25 years creating the landmark. repaired the roof and addressed Now Milkovisch's sons and most of the structural issues. grandsons are doing some restoration and repair work on Arnold hopes to eventually the monumental piece of folk move his law offices into the art and adding a workshop. space, but he doesn't have an anticipated date yet. Milkovisch considered his silvery sanctuary an amusing pasPUBLIC MONUMENTS. Two time rather than art, and he new public monuments have took great delight in the neighbeen erected in downtown's bors' reactions to it. His widow Sam Houston Park. An 8-foot still lives in the house as a pribronze monument to former vate residence, but the view from the street and sidewalk is quite spectacular.
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The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance has joined Rice Design through the Houston Alliance and the City of Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission and the Houston Planning and Development Department - to co-sponsor On Your Mark, a competition to design a ~arker that will be used to recognize and honor districts, buildings, structures, and sites of historic importance in Houston. The marker is intended to reflect the history of Houston, to be a symbol of its heritage and to raise public awareness of the significance of historic preservation. In old cities such as Boston, Savannah, and New Orleans and newer cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas, local historical organizations and city agencies have long erected markers or medallions to identify distingUished buildings and sites. While some Houston places display national and state level markers, many others should be recognized for their contribution to the historic fabric on a local level as well. With the adoption of Houston's first Historic Preservation Ordinance in 1995, owners of historically Significant properties can now be given that recognition. The competition is open to any person or group. Registration opens April 1, 1996 and closes May 1. The registration fee is $35 per entry. All submissions are due May 30. Winners will be announced at a gala celebration hosted by GHPA on the evening of Thursday,june 6 at the Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library. The winner will be unveiled that night. Selected entries, including those of the winners, will be on display at the library throughout the month of june. The top four entries will be awarded cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000. Jurors for the competition are Peter Brink, vice president for programs, services and information at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. and former director of the Galveston Historical Foundation; Vicki McIntosh, Spencer Partnership Architects, interior deSigner and architect, and vice president for programs of GHPA; Larry Speck, dean, School of Architecture, University of Texas at Austin; Bart Truxillo, chairman, Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, architect and director emeritus of the GHPA board; and Lorraine Wild, graphic designer at Reverb in Los Angeles and recipient of the 1995 Chrysler Award for Innovation and Design. For competition gUidelines ... about the Morris Columns? A piece of or other information, please Did you knou,' ... Galveston's judicial past stands today in the call Rice Design Alliance at Bayou City at Houston Baptist University. Ten of the 16 columns that 524-6297. once lined the entrance to the 1899 Galveston County Courthouse serve as a remembrance of HBU founder Dr. Stewart Morris and a symbol of justice and order. MotriS donated the co lumns to the University in 1969, shortly after the Galveston courthouse was demolished in 1965. Morris' grandfather, William H. Stewart, served as a district judge at that courthouse, and Morris' father found refuge in the building during Galveston's devastating storm of 1900 that killed over 6,000 people.
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Texas Governor John Connally is now on view on the west side of the Long Row Building. The statue was created by the statesman's daughter Sharon Ammann. Connally garnered national attention when he was wounded in the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas. Also installed was a monument to the crew of the U.s.S.
THE WAGGAMAN HOUSE
Houston, which was sunk by Japanese forces in 1942 after Pearl Harbor. The obelisk is topped with the ship's bell, which was salvaged by the japanese and later presented to the City of Houston. An interesting trivia note: survivors of the U.S.S. Houston were imprisoned and participated in building the bridge over the River Kwai. The bell monument is situated west of the Nichols-RiceCherry House. SAVING THE MACATEE HOUSE. A Significant landmark in the Southmore Addition has been saved - again. The 1915 Macatee House, which was gutted by fire five years ago, has been restored by Kyle Smith and his wife, Kathleen O'Reilly. The couple had purchased the Italianate house in 1989 and did some renovation work to make the dilapidated house livable. About a year later they were on vacation when the house went up in flames . "We pretty much lost everything," Smith remembers. It took the couple three or four years to decide whether they should (or could) do another restoration. Theyelected to go ahead even though much of the design features had been destroyed. They saved one stained glass window, the clay tile roof (the same brand that had been used on the Empire State Building) and were able to copy some of the burned sashes. They focused on the 50 or 60 windows as the home's architectural high point. Leonard W. Macatee built the house largely with materials from his concrete and building materials firm Macatee &: Sons. The house stands at 1220 Southmore Avenue.
THE MACATEE HOUSE
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For Preservation Newsletter of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
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FOTOFEST MOVES TO MARKET SQUARE, RENOVATES BUILDING The hean of historic Houston saw ncw activity throughout March , as FotoFest 96, the only international photography exhibition in the nation, moved into Market Square, the Warehouse District, Project Row Housesffhird Ward, Midtown, the Museum District and other spaces around the city. More than 70 exhibits filled the spaces. As part of the every-other-year endeavor, FotoFest renovated the interior of the circa 1896 Larendon Building at 309 Travis to first house an exhibit of historic Houston architectural photographs and FotoFest information center. The highlight was undoubtedly the blue print of the George Dickey-designed City Hall once gracing Market Square. After the month-long festival, the building is slated to become the new FotoFest headquarters and offices la ter this year.
"Our goal was to increase public awareness of the richness of Houston's older downtown buildings and create a sense of discovery about the city's heritage," points out Fred Baldwin, president and co-founder of FotoFest. "The intent is to awaken public interest in this part of the city and strengthen ongoing efforts to restore it." The Houston Downtown Management District awarded FotoFest an economic development grant as seed money for the project, and Larendon property owner Gary Warwick, who operates the Majestic Metro just around the corner, secured a facade grant from the Downtown Historic District. The Downtown Historic District administers the facade grant program, which is deSigned to help property owners maintain historic details of buildings as they are renovated.
In addition to orchestrating the photographic exhibits, FotoFest enlisted the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance to offer two of its pioneering walking tours- Market Square and the Warehouse District. Rice Design Alliance also coordinated a walking tour of the Museum District area, and Project Row Houses presented a walking tour of Third Ward. GHPA walking tours drew about 65 people at each of the two sites. GHP A member Kitty Bridges also coordinated a pack of volunteers to assist FotoFest with manning its photo exhibits throughout March.
Woodland Heights Home Tour Weekend Draws Crowds Spring is here, and it's home tour time across historic neighborhoods. GHPA partnered for the second consecutive year with the Woodland Heights Civic Association to co-sponsor its annual Woodland Heights Home &: Garden Tour on April 13 and 14. The weekend event featured a gUided walking tour of the neighborhood, a free lecture and interior tours of six homes, eight gardens and a neighborhood church. The event was a big success and attracted about 800 people to the neighborhood, one of Houston's oldest planned suburbs. Founded by William A. Wilson in 1907, Woodland Heights sits on approximately 106 acres located two miles northwest of downtown and slightly east of Wilson's original family home in Houston Heights. Today, it is a thriving community and one of the most intact historic neighborhoods in the city with an enormous number of its original structures still in existence and in pristine condition. The weekend began on Saturday morning with a guided walking tour of Woodland Heights, presented by GHPA as part of its walking tour series. The tour was designed to introduce tourgoers to the cottage and four-square styles of housing as well as to some of the city's most exquisite examples of bungalow and Craftsman styles, which are the designs most prevalent in the neigh borhood. Following the walking tour, there was a free lecture in the Travis auditorium by Barrie Scardino, well known architectural historian and preservation consultant. The lecture, entitled "With Heart and Hand: The Arts and Crafts Movement and Woodland Heights, 1910 to 1920," included a slide presentation and a discussion of the arts and crafts movement and Craftsman style housing. For the home tour, six homes and eight gardens were open to visitors. The homes, built around the turn of the century, are fine examples of Craftsman, bungalow, cottage, and four-square styles. The gardens included a school garden, planted and maintained by students at Travis; the social garden at a local inn; and private gardens of cottage and formal designs. In addition, St. Mark's United Methodist Church invited visitors to tour the sanctuary of its Gothic-style church.
Historic Clocl~ to Tower Over Marl~et Square Once Again
UNIVERSITY ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL GROOMS NEW PRESERVATIONISTS Historic preservation is a vital part of graduate education at the University of Houston's College of Architecture. Through seminars begun in 1986 by the late Nia Dorian Becnel and design studios initiated by Barry Moore, FAIA in 1987, a program has developed that offers graduate students a solid background in preservation resources, standards, law and economics, technology and HABS standards of documentation. The studios offer exposure to a full range of adaptive reuse opportunities. Those students who complete 30 credit hours in this concentration receive a Certificate of Historic Preservation upon commencement. So far, 16 students have earned it. The community outreach facet of preservation education at the University of Houston is embodied by the Center for Historic Architecture , Barry Moore, Director. The Center for Historic Architecture was created within the University of Houston College of Architecture to assist Texas committees and organizations with preservation issues and design. When communities contact UH for assistance in historic deSign, planning and building documentation, the Center for Historic Architecture pairs them with students and faculty interested in preservation issues. All prOjects are integrated into college coursework through seminar classes,
design studios, and independent research projects enriching students' educational opportunities. As students interact and learn in real-world settings, the center fulfills a principle goal of the University of Houston: to reach out to our community as an urban resource and partner. Since 1987, the center has been involved in 76 prOjects with 298 students participating. The university provides faculty salaries, but all program costs for the center are met with private funding. Some of the significant projects completed by the center include the following: 1. To encourage preservation of the built environment 1. Historic Resources Survey for Jefferson, TX 2. Historic photodocumentation, Houston Heights Association 3. HABS documentation, Colorado County Courthouse 4. Urban design studies for Freedmen's Town Association 5. Design Guidelines, Chappell Hill Historic District 6. Adaptive Reuse, Azteca Theater, Houston, TX 7. Adaptive Reuse, Heights Fire Station #14 8. Design Documentation, Harris County Domed Stadium 9. Computer Renderings of the lost architecture of Alfred C. Finn 10. An Oral HiStory and Bibliography of the Rice Hotel
Nearly 50 years after being removed from its original tower in Market Square, the 1903 City Hall clock will soon be placed in the Louis and Annie Friedman Clock Tower, under construction oppOSite Market Square, at the corner of Travis and Congress. The project is due to be completed in April and the dedication ceremony is scheduled for May 9, 1996. It took a lot of hard work and some miracles to get the clock back to its rightful place in Market Square. Originally, the clock was purchased by the City of Houston in 1903 for $1,100 and placed in the south tower of the new City Hall in 1904. After the current City Hall was constructed in 1939 and local government moved out of the old building, the clock remained in the building until the towers were removed in 1948. The historic time piece was relocated to the Sam Houston Coliseum in 1960 after a fire and forgotten. Following a gas line explOSion eight years later, the clock was again discovered and leased to The Old Market Square Association for $1 a year for safe keeping. The clock was stored in the M&:M Building (now UH Downtown) and at some point sold to an antique dealer in Houston. The clock ended up resting in an open field, exposed the elements in Shepherd, Texas. In 1978, it was purchased by Clyde Gray of Woodville and made into the world's largest mantle clock. The clock was eventually traced to this location by A. Pat Daniels who persuaded Houston city officials to regain title to the clock. In 1988, the clock was returned to Houston. Since December of 1994, the clock has been in Faribault, Minnesota being refurbished and reassembled by Lloyd Larish, one of the world's foremost clock repairmen. This project would not have been possible without the generosity of Saul Friedman, who is underwriting all of the construction expenses in memory of his parents. The architectural fees were financed by the Houston Downtown Management Corporation. The tower was designed by Barry Moore of the Mathes Group . The land was donated by Kenny Meyer, whose family shares a long history with the Market Square area and whose ancestor,Joseph Meyer, was involved in the testing of the bell in 1877. Thanks to all of these and all individuals who have played a vital role in the struggle to bring this most important project to completion.
For Preservation Newsletter of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance I
1996-97 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Committee
Voting Directors
PRESIDENT Anita Garten
Clarence Bagby Gary Coover James W. Fonteno Jr. Bob Fretz Jr. Willie Lee Gay Morgan Hill Mark Inabnit Gaye McCullough Greg Robertson Rolando Romo Louis Skidmore Joe Douglas Webb, AlA Russel Windham Simon Wiltz Don M. Woo
PAST PRESIDENT Minnette Boesel PRESIDENT ELECT . David C. Mullett TREASURER Kathleen S. Williamson, CPA SECRETARY Phoebe Tudor VICE PRESIDENT. DEVELOPMENT Jeffrey S. Baloutine VICE PRESIDENT. BOARD DEVELOPMENT Martha Alexander VICE PRESIDENT. PROGRAM Vicki McIntosh VICE PRESIDENT. MARKETING &: PUBLIC RELATIONS Danni Sabota
Non-voting Ex-Officio
LEGAL COUNSEL Charles D. MaynardJr. DIRECTOR EMERITUS Bart Truxillo OLD SIXTH WARD NEIGHBORHOOD Jerry Harper PARLIAMENT ARIA N R. George Cunningham Robert Litke Randy Pace Karen Carr Al Davis
Calendar of Events May 18-25 National Historic Preservation Week May 19,2 p.m. Lovett Boulevard/Avondale Addition Walking Tour June Tejano Heritage Workshop Tejano Association for Historical Preservation Co-sponsored by GHP A
Preservation Alliance held two receptions to preview "Heritage at Risk - Architecture of Rural Texas," an exhibition of work by architectural photographer, Richard Payne, FAIA. Payne is one of the nation's leading architectural photographers. For over 25 years, he has photographed buildings around the world for the nation's best architects and publishers. He has completed five books on architecture and has taught photography at Rice University and the University of Houston. In 1991, CALVERT 1995> Richard Payne he was named Fellow of the American Institute of Architects the profession's highest award. The photographs were funded by the Anchorage Foundation of Texas and are part of a body of work that will eventually be published in a book on the architecture of rural Texas. The event generated wonderful publicity for GHPA. • . • .;j,I. , Approximately 350 people attended, and all of them received general and membership information on GHPA thanks to a host committee chaired by Martha Alexander, a member of the GHP A Board. .., If'''' j Robert McClain called the exhibition "a phenomenal success," and because it was so popular, he extended it for two weeks beyond what had been originally scheduled. The exhibition was made possible thanks to the generous underwritMinnette Boesel, Patricia ing of Kendall Heaton Associates, Judson Design, Silver Eagle Ekstrum, Dave Muliet, Martha Alexander and Dr, Mavis Kelsey Distributing, University of Houston Printing Department, Randall's, and Robert McClain & Co. Special thanks to Robert McClain and Richard Payne who generously donated 10 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the photographs to the Preservation Alliance.
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June 19 GHPA Open Board Meeting June 30,2 p,m, Glenwood Cemetery Walking Tour July 28, 2 p,m, Westmoreland Walking Tour July Preservation Breakfast Talk
Michael Andrews William]. Beard Andy Campbell Willard and Patricia Ekstrum Dee Elliott David Jarrett Barbara & Michael McGinity Carrie E. McGoldrick Yvonne Meyer Richard Palmer Philip G. Paratore III Will & Audrey Pinkerton Frank W. Randle Michael S. Zilkha
In January, Robert McClain & Co. and the Greater Houston
Aside from winning the lottery, we've a short list of needs and desires, More than anything, we need volunteers to work in the office and assist Patricia Ekstrum with the administrative tasks, Members don't need to be up on all the latest preservation news to be of enormous help, Patricia needs various things done: answering the phone, making copies, faxing, filing, cataloguing and preparing membership renewals, Your time there can really be what you make it, as there are a mil-
June 6 Houston Landmark Medallion Design Competition Reception Julia ldeson Library
New Members
Richard Payne Exhibit
lion things to do. Assistance with these tasks will help free Patricia up to do fundraising for GHP A programs - one of the things she does best, GHPA will pay for parking. And this is a perfect excuse to visit the extraordinarily restored Art Deco bank lobby of the Gulf Building, where the office is located. We depend a lot on our computers, and we're in the process of getting them up to the standard we need them. In the meantime, can you donate a
computer modem? We need a 9600 or a 14400. Although the office is located in the heart of downtown and a short walk from dozens of restaurants, it would be great to have a mini refrigerator in the office for soft drinks and a bottle of wine. Just kidding about the wine. Do you have a fridge you can spare? If you have any of these things and would like to donate them, call Patricia at 216-5000. Thanks for thinking of us.
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, EDITOR Danni Sabota ART DIRECTOR Peter Boyle DESIGN ORIGINATOR Martha Alexander CONTRIBUTORS Minnette Boesel, Patricia Ekstrum, Anita Garten, Barry Moore, Greg Neuman
If you have newsletter contributions, please address them to Editor, FOR PRESERVATION, GHPA, 712 Main Street, Ste. llO, Houston, TX 77002.
Please enroll me as a member of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. My contribution for the following category is enclosed:
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The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance is a 501 (c) (3) corporation, Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. L ___________________________________________________________________________________
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