For Preservation THE NEWSLETTER OF
Volume 21, No. 1
www.ghpa.org
n
greater houston preservation alliance
Houston’s local partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Winter 2011
UH study confirms value of districts
2011 CO R N E R S TO N E D I N N E R
15 projects earn Good Bricks and Truxillo are all previous Good Brick Award recipients. In addition to the juried awards, GHPA will present its 2011 President’s Award to Bob Fretz, Jr. for his outstanding contributions to historic preservation in Houston. As president of Fretz Construction Co., he has played an integral role in restoring several historic churches and is Bob Fretz, Jr. himself a Good Brick Award winner for his adaptive reuse of the former Byrd’s Department Store (1934) as Byrd’s Lofts. “Bob and I have often worked together in designing and building projects and serving as volunteers. He carries on extremely well his family’s tradition of quality conPlease see Awards, Page 2
COURTESY OF DEBORAH KEYSER
GHPA will again showcase outstanding preservation projects and the people who make them possible when it presents the 2011 Good Brick Awards during The Cornerstone Dinner on Friday, February 4. Fifteen projects were chosen to receive awards from almost three dozen nominations. A jury of design and preservation professionals, former Good Brick winners and community leaders selected the recipients. GHPA board member and former Houston Chronicle home design editor Madeleine McDermott Hamm chaired the jury; Tim Beeson of Houston House & Home magazine, Bob Fretz, Jr. of Fretz Construction Co., architect Kerry Goelzer, Galveston Historical Foundation Executive Director Dwayne Jones, Wallace Saage of The Heritage Society, architect Monica Savino and GHPA Director Emeritus Bart Truxillo served as jurors. Beeson, Fretz, Savino
Deborah Keyser and James Stafford are receiving a 2011 Good Brick Award for the renovation of the National Cash Register Co. Building, which was designed by Joseph Finger. The building is shown shortly after its completion in 1929.
WA L K I N G TO U R S
2011 tours will mark Houston’s 175th birthday
GHPA FILE
The capitol of the Republic of Texas, which stood at the corner of Main Street and Texas Avenue, was a landmark in early Houston. The building became the Capitol Hotel after the government moved to Austin. The Post Rice Lofts stands on the site today.
GHPA’s Walking Tours Program will celebrate Houston’s 175th birthday in 2011 with a year’s worth of tours that trace the city’s development. “We developed this year’s tour calendar based on our docents’ favorite tours,” Walking Tours Program Chair Jim Parsons said. “So not only do these tours tell the story of how Houston grew as a city, but they’re also the ones that we most enjoy giving.” The year will begin with three tours in the north end of downtown, which was the extent of the city when it was founded in 1836. On January 9, the tour will cover the area around Market Square, the center of commerce and city government in early Houston. A new tour February 13, “The Town of Houston,” will
explore significant sites and stories from the city’s earliest days. And in March, a tour on the 13th will focus on the Courthouse District, including the magnificent 1910 Harris County Courthouse and stories of Quality Hill, early Houston’s most exclusive residential area. Later tours will explore some of Houston’s early suburbs, including the Old Sixth Ward and Woodland Heights; buildings of the downtown skyline; and the modern architecture of the University of St. Thomas and Menil campus. The walking tours begin at 2 p.m. and cost $7 for GHPA members and students and $10 for the general public. More information on tour meeting points and an updated tour calendar are available at www.ghpa.org/tours.
When preservationists talk about the value of historic preservation, it usually involves intangibles like pride of place and maintaining neighborhood character, but there are dollars and cents reasons for property owners to have their neighborhoods designated as City of Houston historic districts. The University of Houston’s Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) has released the results of a study that clearly illustrates the positive impact historic district designation has on property values in Houston. GHPA commissioned the study to illustrate with hard numbers the economic value of historic district designation. Similar independent studies have been conducted in other cities, including Philadelphia, Dallas and Galveston, but comparisons to Houston were difficult because those communities generally have stronger preservation protections. The HCPP findings show that Houston’s results are in line with those for other cities: Historic properties in designated historic districts have higher appraised values and maintain those values better than comparable properties in adjacent neighborhoods that are not designated historic districts. Methods HCPP conducted a comparative analysis of Harris County Appraisal District records from the past ten years. Appraised values in three Please see Study, Page 2
OL D S I X T H WA R D
New lease on life for historic house According to local historian Chuck Stava, Gottlieb Eisele was a German immigrant and carpenter who built the house for his wife and son. The building was the last surviving house in Vinegar Hill, a Sixth Ward neighborhood that was demolished for the construction of Houston Police Department headquarters and Interstate 45. For decades the house has stood in a city-owned parking lot next to the freeway, where it served as a meeting place for the HPD Explorers youth group.
COURTESY OF CITY OF HOUSTON
A private buyer has purchased the historic Gottlieb Eisele House at auction from the City of Houston. Built in the 1870s as a side-gabled Gulf Coast cottage with Carpenter Gothic detailing, the frame house was given its current bungalow form after being damaged in the 1943 hurricane. The Houston Chronicle reported that the new owner, Lee Roeder, will move the house to the Old Sixth Ward Historic District and restore the building to its original appearance using Eisele family photos.
Gottlieb Eisele House
For Preservation
2 | Winter 2011 FR O M T H E EX E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R: R A M O N A DAV I S
As I write this letter, the futures of seven City of Houston historic districts are in the balance because of a provision in the revised preservation ordinance City Council approved last year. The ordinance allowed property owners in city districts to begin a repeal process that could result in the loss of all preserva-
tion protections for their neighborhoods. So far, eight districts have survived the repeal attempt, along with two others that were exempt from the process. They are enjoying stronger preservation protections than ever. The development of the ordinance was one of the major preservation stories in Houston in 2010. As always, GHPA’s role was to keep up with the process and to provide its members with clear, accurate information about
it. Our staff does an excellent job of researching and understanding local preservation issues, but they can’t do it without help from you. If you’re worried about the future of a historic building, let us know. If there are concerns in your neighborhood, tell us. As I have written before, advocacy
organizations work like microphones. They can amplify your voice and help create the kind of city we all want. Given the situation in the historic districts, it is even more timely that GHPA is preparing to honor people who are proving the value of local preservation with the 2011 Good Brick Awards. Jurors chose from nearly three dozen nominations, a record number, and the awards honor a wonderfully diverse group of projects.
Study
Bye, Y
continued from Page 1
JIM PARSONS
Demolition of the historic Downtown YMCA (1941, Kenneth Franzheim) is set to begin in March or April. The YMCA vacated the 10-story Tuscan Renaissance-inspired building at 1600 Louisiana after its new downtown branch opened in September 2010. Chevron Corp., the property’s current owner, has no immediate plans to redevelop the site.
Gifts to GHPA In memory of Martha Peterson and In honor of Jim Parsons by Bill Conner In honor of Patty & Bill Porter by Eileen & George Hricik In memory of Margaret Skidmore by Louis H. Skidmore, Jr. In honor of Phoebe Tudor by Gracie Cavnar
In honor of Phoebe & Bobby Tudor by Barbara McCelvey In honor of Phoebe & Bobby Tudor by Sara Dodd-Spickelmier & Keith D. Spickelmier Recognize and remember friends, colleagues or loved ones with a dedicated contribution to GHPA. To donate online, please visit www.ghpa.org/donate. Gifts to GHPA are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
designated City of Houston historic districts were measured against values of similar properties in adjacent historic neighborhoods that are not designated historic districts. Separate analyses were conducted for land values and improvement values. To ensure the analysis compared like properties, the improvements studied were historic houses with similar construction dates. Values for more than 1500 separate properties were analyzed. The study compared appraised values in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District on the south side of Washington Avenue to those in the First Ward on the north side of Washington. Property values in the Norhill Historic District were compared to those in the southern section of Norhill that is not part of the historic district. Values in the Westmoreland Historic District on the north side of West Alabama Street were compared to those in the Bute Addition on the south side of West Alabama. (Although the Bute Addition recently became part of the First Montrose Commons Historic District, the neighborhood was not a designated historic district during the period covered by the study.) Results Among HCPP’s findings: n From 2001 to 2007, appraised values of historic houses in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District more than doubled. Properties in the historic district generally maintained those new higher values until 2010.
Awards
continued from Page 1 IMMORTAL IMAGES / COURTESY OF BRENNAN’S
struction and giving back to the community,” said GHPA President Larry E. Whaley. “I’m very pleased GHPA is recognizing Bob’s exceptional experience and knowledge of preservation with the President’s Award.” Brennan’s of Houston will receive the Stewart Title Award for rebuilding and reopening its landmark restaurant in the former Junior League Building (1930). Fire gutted the historic structure during Hurricane Ike in 2008. “We wanted to recognize Brennan’s not just for preserving a Houston landmark, but for preserving a Houston tradition as well,” Madeleine Hamm said. GHPA will again present the Martha Peterson Award honoring the memory of the dedicated volunteer who co-chaired GHPA’s walking tours program for many years. The second annual Peterson Award is going to the fourth- and fifth-grade art program at Sylvan Rodriguez, Jr. Elementary School for its project Houston: Urban Landscapes in Watercolor. Rodriguez students photographed buildings and cityscapes during field trips led by GHPA staff. Later, the students painted watercolors based on the photos.
Brennan’s of Houston is being honored with the Stewart Title Award for rebuilding its restaurant in the 1930 Junior League Building, which was gutted by fire during Hurricane Ike in 2008.
Martha Peterson played a pivotal role in another of this year’s award-winning projects. As project director for the Glenwood Cemetery Historical Foundation, she was instrumental in the publication of the new book Houston’s Silent Garden: Glenwood Cemetery, 1871-2009 released by Texas A&M University Press. Suzanne Turner and Joanne Seale Wilson are the co-authors and Paul Hester provided original photography. Glenwood Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation is the award recipient. In a strong year for local history books, Houston
This year’s awards are proof of a growing commitment to preservation in Houston. I hope you will join us for the awards presentation at the Cornerstone Dinner on Friday, Feb. 4, at River Oaks Country Club (reserve your seats online at www.ghpa. org/awards). And as we enter 2011, I look forward to continuing to work with you to protect Houston’s heritage.
From 2005 to 2010, appraised values for historic houses in First Ward were in consistent decline. n From 2001 to 2010, appraised land values in Old Sixth Ward Historic District remained consistently higher than appraised land values in First Ward. n From 2001 to 2010, houses in the Westmoreland Historic District had substantially higher appraised values than those in Bute Addition. n The appraised values of houses in both areas of Norhill decreased beginning in 2005; however, Norhill Historic District began a four-year rebound in 2006. The appraised values of houses in Norhill Historic District increased rapidly enough to surpass Norhill South in 2007 and stay above Norhill South from that point on. HCPP also projected that historic houses in the Norhill Historic District are much more likely to increase in value in the future than those in the non-designated neighborhood. The complete study results are available online at www.uh.edu/hcpp/ GHPAhistoricdistricts.pdf. In historic preservation, the only protection is local protection. By having your neighborhood designated a City of Houston historic district, you will be preserving your neighborhood’s traditional character and protecting property values. GHPA’s Historic Neighborhood Resources Program helps neighborhood associations and civic clubs that want to initiate the historic district designation process. For information or assistance, contact Courtney Tardy at cktardy@ghpa.org or 713-216-5000.
Lost and Unbuilt by Steven R. Strom will also receive a Good Brick Award. The University of Texas Press published the book, which documents demolished structures and projects that were never built. An unusual number of public projects are receiving Good Brick Awards. Houston Public Library is being recognized for the rehabilitation of the former Gregory School (1926) as the African-American Library at the Gregory School in the Freedmen’s Town National Register District. Houston Parks & Recreation Department is receiving a Good Brick for its renovation of the former Farnsworth & Chambers Building (1957) as parks department headquarters. Now called the Gragg Building, the structure was designed by MacKie & Kamrath and served as NASA’s Houston headquarters until the Johnson Space Center was completed. Houston Parks & Recreation Department is also sharing an award with Houston Downtown Management District and the Downtown Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ #3 for redeveloping Market Square Park, the site of City Hall for the first century of Houston’s existence. The park includes Lauren’s Garden, a September 11 memorial funded by the Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas Foundation. Please see Awards, Page 3
For Preservation
Winter 2011 | 3
2010 Annual Meeting GHPA is grateful to Silver Eagle Distributors for hosting the 2010 Annual Meeting on November 3. During the event, Silver Eagle President/CEO and former Texas Historical Commission Chair John Nau III graciously shared insights into his collection of Texas art and historic artifacts. GHPA President Larry E. Whaley welcomed four new members to the Board of Directors: Lucky Chopra, John Cryer III, Benito Guerrier and Nancy McGregor Manne. Seven members retired from the board: Tim Cisneros, Cindy Garbs, Andrew Kaldis, C.C. Lee, Jim Murnane, Randhir Sahni and Janet Spencer. A complete list of GHPA officers and board members for 2010-2011 is on the last page of this newsletter.
Rick and Claire Thiekle
Peggy and Joe de Sola
John Nau III, GHPA Executive Director Ramona Davis, GHPA President Larry E. Whaley
Joann Crassas, Toni Lawrence, GHPA Board Member Mary Ann Reynolds Wilkins
GHPA VP/Development Bill Franks and Megan Franks
ALL: COURTNEY TARDY
Bill Crassas and GHPA Board Members David Cottrell III and Louis H. Skidmore, Jr.
Awards
continued from Page 2 Deborah Keyser and James Stafford are being recognized for their renovation of the 1929 National Cash Register Co. Joseph Finger originally designed the Italian Renaissance Revival building. Saul Obregon and Ruben Obregon will accept a Good Brick for their rehabilitation of the ca. 1900 William L. Shipp House. The house is the first and only designated protected landmark on Houston’s Near Northside. T.J. Bath and Dan Hawkins will receive an award for the renovation of their century-old American foursquare in the Westmoreland Historic District. Carol and Mike Linn are being recognized for their restoration of No. 2 Longfellow Lane in Shadyside. Built in 1923, the impressive house was designed by Harrie T. Lindeberg and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kate McCormick and Champ Warren will accept their award for the renovation and sympathetic addition to their historic house in Southside Place. Built in 1937, it is one of the last of the original houses remaining in the small city. On a more whimsical note, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is receiving a Good Brick Award for conserving the Beer Can House in the Old West End. The project preserves the unique folk art of John Martin Milkovisch. Two projects in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District are being recognized with awards. Bennie and David Ansell are receiving a Good Brick for the sympathetic addition to their Folk Victorian house. Taryn Kinney and Michael Morrow will accept a Good Brick for renovating their Gulf Coast cottage. SILCO, Inc. is being recognized with a Good Brick for the adaptive reuse of the former Nabisco bakery (1910) near Minute Maid Park as CityView Lofts. To see images of all the 2011 Good Brick Award
winning projects, please visit www.ghpa.org/awards. During the Cornerstone Dinner, the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will also present awards for outstanding architecture of lasting value. The 25 Year Award will go to RepublicBank Center (now Bank of America Center) from 1983 by Johnson/Burgee Architects and Kendall/ Heaton Associates. MacKie & Kamrath’s Humble Research Center (now Exxon Research Center), completed in 1954, will receive the 50 Year Award.
Online reservations GHPA will present the 2011 Good Brick Awards during the Cornerstone Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, February 4, at River Oaks Country Club, 1600 River Oaks Boulevard. Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Susan and Gene Vaughan are the event co-chairs. Tickets start at $200 per person. For reservations and information, please call 713-216-5000 or visit www.ghpa.org/awards.
For Preservation
4 | Winter 2011
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance 2010-2011 Board of Directors OFFICERS Larry E. Whaley President
Lynne Bentsen Treasurer
Madeleine Hamm Secretary
Nancy Ames VP/Special Events
Al Calloway VP/Communication
Bill Franks VP/Development
Eileen Hricik VP at Large
Patricia Laurent VP at Large
Rick Walton VP/Museum of Houston
D I R E C TO R S Michelle Barnes Minnette Boesel Rosario Boling Lucky Chopra
David Cottrell III Jane-Page Crump John Cryer III Carlo M. Di Nunzio
Diane Gendel Benito Guerrier Karen Henry Susan Hill
Janita Lo Louis H. Skidmore, Jr. Nancy McGregor Manne William W. Stubbs Patty Porter Phoebe Tudor Mary Ann Reynolds Bob Wakefield
EX OFFICIO Charles D. Maynard, Jr. Legal Counsel Patrick Van Pelt Chairman, Harris County Historical Commission
Bart Truxillo Director Emeritus
Randy Pace City of Houston Historical Preservation Officer
Marlene Gafrick Director, City of Houston Department of Planning and Development
B U S I N E S S A N D N OT - F O R - P R O F I T M E M B E R S 1940 Air Terminal Museum Tony Abyad / Skyland Development Adept Word Management AGC Houston AIA Houston Amilee Wendt, ASID / Wendt Design Group Bailey Architects, Inc. Baker Botts LLP Bering’s Bill Fisher Benefits Specialists Boulevard Oaks Ladies Club Bradshaw-Carter Memorial & Funeral Services Brick Restoration, Inc. Bridgeway Capital Management Canyonlands Corp. Central Houston / Houston Downtown Management District Coat & Evans, PC Colquitt Court Civic Association Cooke + Skidmore Consulting Corp. David Cottrell Investments FRAMEwork design LLC
Fretz Construction Company Gabriel Architects, Inc. Gensler Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects Glenwood Cemetery, Inc. and Glenwood Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation Madeleine M. Hamm / Design Communications HawesHillCalderon, LLP Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc. Karen Henry + Associates Public Relations The Heritage Society Jerry Hernandez / Russo Services, Inc. Hines HistoryConsultants.net Houston Mod Houston House & Home Peggy Hull, ASID / Creative Touch Interiors Jane-Page Crump / Jane Page Design Group JPMorgan Chase & Co. Kirksey Architecture Landmark Houston Hospitality Group Charles W. Ligon, AIA, Architects
The Lionstone Group Llewelyn-Davies Sahni, Inc. Martha Turner Properties Matrix Spencer Architects REHKA Engineering, Inc. R.N. Wakefield & Co., Antiques Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. Daphne Scarbrough / The Brass Maiden Silver Eagle Distributors, LP Smith and Company Architects, Inc. South MacGregor Civic Club Stern and Bucek Architects Stewart Title SWCA Environmental Consultants Tellepsen W.S. Bellows Construction Ward & Ames Special Events William Reaves Fine Art, LLC William W. Stubbs & Associates Winlow Place Civic Club Wulfe & Co. Ziegler Cooper, Inc.
About GHPA The mission of Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (GHPA) is to promote the preservation and appreciation of Houston’s architectural and cultural historic resources through education, advocacy and committed action, thereby creating economic value and developing a stronger sense of community. GHPA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. GHPA is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. GHPA is a member of Preservation Texas and Partners for Sacred Spaces.
GHPA online www.ghpa.org www.museumofhouston.org www.houstondeco.org
For Preservation David Bush, editor Jim Parsons, designer Copyright 2011, Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. All rights reserved.
The Cornerstone Dinner presenting the 2011 Good Brick Awards Friday, February 4, 2011 River Oaks Country Club Reserve online at www.ghpa.org/awards
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