Keynote Vol. 22, No. 2
Spring 2012
the newsletter of
Preservation Houston
Houston’s Local Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
www.preservationhouston.org
Author Steve Berry to speak at PH events Proceeds from luncheon, writers’ workshop will help preserve the City of Houston’s first flag courtesy of history matters foundation
The first events produced under the Preservation Houston banner will feature literature in service to preservation. On Wednesday, May 23, New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry (The Jefferson Key, The Paris Vendetta, The Amber Room) will speak at the PH 2012 Spring Luncheon and conduct a writers’ workshop. Proceeds from the special events will fund Preservation Houston’s conservation of the City of Houston’s first flag. Berry is appearing courtesy of his own History Matters Foundation. He and his wife were inspired to create the foundation while conducting background research for Berry’s his-
New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry will be featured speaker at Preservation Houston’s 2012 Spring Luncheon at The Parador on Wednesday, May 23.
torical thrillers. He wrote in the Huffington Post, “More than 4.8 billion artifacts are held in public trust by more than 30,000 archives, historical soci-
eties, libraries, museums, scientific research collections and archaeological repositories in the United States, but lack of funding places a third of these items at risk of being lost. This is why my wife, Elizabeth, and I started our foundation, History Matters. History is not something obscure or unimportant. History plays a vital role in our everyday lives. We learn from our past in order to achieve greater influence over our future.” During the luncheon, Berry will discuss the work of the History Matters Foundation and tell his story of rejection — 12 years, 85 rejections — and what it took to persevere and eventually land novels on the New York Times bestseller list with nearly 14 million books in print in 51 countries. The luncheon will be held at The Parador, 2021 Binz. The event begins with a reception at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at 11:30. Berry will be
available to sign his new book, The Columbus Affair, during the reception. Books to be signed must be purchased at the event. Tickets for the 2012 Spring Luncheon start at $200 for Preservation Houston members and $300 for the general public. Reservations and prepayment are required. Reservations are not refundable. The registration form and additional information are available online at www.preservationhouston.org/luncheon. To register by phone, please call 713-510-3990. Please send questions to contact@ preservationhouston.org. Preservation Houston is very grateful to Deborah Keyser for providing The Parador for the luncheon. Geo. H. Lewis & Sons is graciously furnishing chauffeured services for Steve Berry during his visit. Please see Berry, Page 2
jim parsons
Preservation Houston: New name, same mission
family together,” said Carroll Blue, the original owners’ great-granddaughter. “This house taught me the importance of home.” The Carroll House is one of the oldest buildings in Independence Heights. In 1910, the Wright Land Company established the subdivision north of Houston Heights and developed the area for black homeowners. About 600 people lived in the community by 1915, when Independence Heights was incorporated. The new town was the first municipality in Texas governed by African-Americans. Residents vot-
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance is now Preservation Houston. After serious consideration, GHPA’s Board of Directors voted to shorten the organization’s name; the Texas Secretary of State and Harris County Clerk certified the change in February. “Our name may be different, but our mission remains the same. Preservation Houston will continue to promote the preservation and appreciation of our shared architectural and cultural historic resources,” said Preservation Houston President Patty Porter. “The organization, the staff, the board and our membership will remain the same.” The new name better reflects the organization’s current work. “When GHPA was incorporated in 1978, Houston did not have a historic preservation ordinance; there were no historic districts and no local landmarks. Everyone had to work to get the fundamental tools in place,” said Preservation Houston Executive Director Ramona Davis. “Now our work is much more nuanced. Each of the historic dis-
Please see Carroll, Page 2
Please see Name, Page 2
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1924, 1926, William Ward Watkin) is among the buildings that will be featured during PH’s walking tour of Main Street and Montrose Boulevard on Sunday evening, June 10. walking tours
Preservation Houston’s Walking Tours Program will take refuge from the Houston heat with its Summer Twilight Tours at 6 p.m. the second Sunday of June, July, August and September. The June 10 tour, Main Street and Montrose Boulevard, will focus on the neighborhood around the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The tour will tell the story of the development of the museum itself and will explore nearby structures designed by MacKie & Kamrath, Joseph Finger, Alfred C. Finn and Isamu Noguchi, among others. Please see Tours, Page 3
david bush
This summer, explore the city with PH walking tours
The Carroll House (c. 1910), 309 E. 32nd St., became Independence Heights’ first City of Houston Protected Landmark in April. The designation protects the historic structure from demolition. historic neighborhood resources
Independence Heights gains its first city protected landmark In April, Independence Heights Redevelopment Authority hosted a ceremony to commemorate the designation of the c. 1910 Carroll House, 309 East 32nd Street, as the historic African-American neighborhood’s first City of Houston Protected Landmark. Andrew Carroll, a farmer and minister, built the home with his wife, Polly, and four of their 12 children. The small frame house has remained in the Carroll family for more than a century. The homeowners applied to have their property registered as a protected landmark. “To think that two former slaves put together their pennies to buy these lots to keep their
Keynote
2 Spring 2012 from the executive director: RAMONA DAVIS
PH to host Louis Aulbach book signing and reception July 15 Preservation Houston will host a reception and book signing for local historian Louis F. Aulbach and his latest work, Buffalo Bayou: An Echo of Houston’s Wilderness Beginnings, at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at the historic Magnolia Ballroom in the Magnolia Brewery Building, 715 Franklin at Milam downtown. Aulbach leads the Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s boat tours and his book covers the full length of the bayou from its origins in Fort Bend County to its outlet in Galveston Bay. Admission to the reception is free. Book sales at the event will benefit Preservation Houston. The cover price of the book is $25. Preservation Houston thanks Bart Truxillo for providing the use of the Magnolia Ballroom.
jim parsons
Name
Work continues on specialty grocer Trader Joe’s new store in the historic Alabama Theater building (1939, Pettigrew & Worley), 2922 South Shepherd. In 2006, Preservation Houston, as Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, began focusing public attention on threats to the Alabama’s survival after receiving information that the theater was slated for demolition. Preservation Houston promoted finding a new use for the building while encouraging the property’s owner, Weingarten Realty, and any prospective tenants to respect the theater’s historic design. In September 2011, Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission approved plans to renovate the theater’s main façade and marquee in keeping with the building’s original appearance. The new Trader Joe’s is expected to incorporate some of the Alabama Theater’s original interior elements. In November 2011, contractors demolished the original murals inside the auditorium; it is not clear if Weingarten or Trader Joe’s ordered the demolition. Houston’s preservation ordinance does not protect historic interiors.
Carroll
continued from Page 1 ed to become part of Houston in 1928 and the community was annexed the following year. Courtney Tardy, Preservation Houston’s Historic Neighborhood Resources director, has assisted the Independence Heights Redevelopment Authority by surveying the neigh-
borhood to identify historic resources in the community. The Carroll House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Independence Heights Historic District. The National Register district is on the north side of the 610 North Loop and is bounded by Columbia Street on the east, Yale Street on the west, East 34th Street on the north and East 30th Street on the south.
Berry
continued from Page 1 Lessons from a Bestseller Aspiring authors will have the opportunity to learn about the craft and business of writing when Berry presents “Lessons from a Bestseller,” a four-hour writers’ workshop from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street. Berry has held the program across the country, teaching hundreds of writers. During the workshop, he covers the questions he has been asked most frequently over the years and provides information he feels will have the biggest impact on prospective writers. Admission for the workshop is $95 per person. Reservations and prepayment are required for the workshop. Admission is not refundable. The deadline for reservations is Friday, May 18. The registration form and additional information are online at www.preservationhouston.org/
Register now for second annual Houston History Conference The Houston History Association is sponsoring its second annual Houston History Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Hilton-University of Houston Hotel and Conference Center, 4800 Calhoun Road. “Building Houston: From Allen’s Landing to the Moon” is the theme of the conference, which will feature a discussion with architect Barry Moore, FAIA, Please see Beat, Page 3
USMC Memorial Scholarships for college students, veterans and active military to attend the writers’ workshop. Norwood, a U.S. Marine, was killed in Iraq in 2004. Berry will also be signing his new book, The Columbus Affair, at Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. Visit www. murderbooks.com for information.
jim parsons
Change is good. Some of you may think that’s an odd message from a group that advocates historic preservation, but preservation isn’t about locking in the past, it’s about protecting and adapting historic resources to keep them vital parts of our dynamic city. There have been a lot of changes around our offices in the past couple of months. We have a new name, a new logo and a new home. Moving is never easy, especially after spending such a long time in one place, but the transition went very smoothly thanks to some old and new friends. Board member David Cottrell negotiated the lease on our new office and our new landlord, George Britton, went out of his way to accommodate us in his historic building. VP at Large Jane-Page Crump of Jane Page Design Group shared her expertise to brighten the space and make the most of our work area. We’re also very grateful to McCoy Workplace Solutions for donating desks and chairs, and to John Carloss of Venetian Blind Carpet One Floor & Home for contributing the blinds that are allowing us to make the most of our new windows. John will also donate to Preservation Houston 5 percent of any purchases our members make in his store. So if you’re planning on remodeling or redecorating, please visit Venetian Blind Carpet One at 2504 Bissonnet or www.vbaf.com. When all of the boxes are unpacked and everything is put away, we’ll host a reception for our members so everyone can see Preservation Houston’s new home. Until then, it’s business as usual for us. We’re here to help you and anyone who wants to preserve neighborhood character and our irreplaceable cultural resources. Working together, we are creating a preservation ethic for Houston.
Bayou City Beat
Alabama bound
The prototype for the City of Houston flag, created in 1915, will be conserved using proceeds from the Spring Luncheon and writers’ workshop. Preservation Houston will donate the restored flag to the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.
workshop. To register by phone, please call 713-510-3990. Please send questions to contact@preservationhouston.org. Berry’s History Matters Foundation is awarding five Sgt. Byron W. Norwood
age. Preservation Houston’s logo incorporates a traditional key to reflect the continued from Page 1 organization’s efforts to preserve histricts is different. Each has its own needs. toric architecture. A leaf element repre “We’ll still form partnerships with sents preservation’s role in conserving other groups, but it’s going to be based resources by encouraging reuse rather on the specific project or program,” Da- than demolition. vis continued. “Of course, issues like the The organization has also moved into River Oaks Theater and the Astrodome a new office across from Lamar High will always require broad-based grass- School in the historic Lamar-River roots support.” Oaks Building (1948, Raymond H. Brog With the new name comes a new im- niez), which is featured in Preservation
About the 1915 Houston city flag W.A. Wheeldon, a retired railroad employee, designed Houston’s city flag for a public competition in the summer of 1915. Wheeldon’s design, which is still used today, incorporated the city seal and the Lone Star of Texas. Levy Bros. Dry Goods Co. made the prototype for the flag, which debuted during Houston’s Independence Day parade in 1915. The flag was donated to Preservation Houston several years ago. Preservation Houston will present the restored banner to the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.
Houston’s book Houston Deco. GHPA had been in its previous office in the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Building downtown since 1987. The move was precipitated when Chase Bank sold the historic building, which many Houstonians know as the Gulf Building. “We’ll always be grateful to Chase Bank and its predecessor, Texas Commerce Bank, for generously donating GHPA’s office space for more than 20 years,” Davis said.
Contact us Preservation Houston 3272 Westheimer Road, Suite 2 Houston, TX 77098 phone: 713-510-3990 fax: 713-510-3999 contact@preservationhouston.org www.preservationhouston.org Facebook: PreservationHouston Twitter: @PresHou
Keynote
Tours
continued from Page 1 On July 8, the Walking Tours Program will head downtown for another visit to a perennial favorite, the Market Square Historic District. August’s tour, held on the
12th, will explore the historic Houston Heights, and on September 9, PH will present a new tour, the Civic Center and Theater District, focusing on the areas around Jones Plaza, Tranquillity Park and Hermann Square downtown. Reservations are not re-
quired for the 90-minute walking tours. Admission is $7 for Preservation Houston members and $10 for the general public. For more information, including tour start points, visit www. preservationhouston.org/tours or call 713-510-3993.
Spring 2012 3
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continued from Page 2 of Gensler and architectural historian Stephen Fox. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett will be the luncheon speaker. For detailed information or to register for the conference,
visit www.houstonhistoryassociation.org. The 2012 Houston History Conference is being co-sponsored by Texas State Historical Association, University of Houston Center for Public History and Houston History magazine.
2012 cornerstone dinner
Cornerstone Dinner honors Houston preservationists
More than 400 guests turned out to recognize the recipients of the 2012 Good Brick Awards for excellence in historic preservation during Preservation Houston’s Cornerstone Dinner on Friday evening, February 4, at River Oaks Country Club. Three of Houston’s top interior designers were involved in the event. Jane-Page Crump and Bill Stubbs co-chaired the Cornerstone Dinner. Janita Lo chaired the silent auction. All three of the
chairs serve on the Preservation Houston Board of Directors. Another Preservation Houston board member, VP Special Events Nancy Ames, also contributed her time and talent in planning the event. The program included the presentation of the first Community Pillars awards to real estate executive Martha Turner and former Houston’s Astros owner Drayton McLane, Jr., for their outstanding service to the community and contributions to the
city’s continuing prosperity. The complete list of award recipients may be viewed online at www. preservationhouston.org/awards. Doug Johnson, dean of Houston weathercasters, and Katherine Whaley, a new face on KHOU Channel 11, served as emcees for the evening. Katherine Whaley is the daughter of Larry and Charlotte Whaley. Larry E. Whaley is Preservation Houston’s past president.
Betty Newton and Preservation Houston board member Phoebe Tudor
Good Brick Award recipients Lynn and Ty Kelly
Preservation Houston President Patty Porter and Bill Porter, silent auction chair Janita Lo
Ray and Sharon Witt, Community Pillar Award recipient Martha Turner, Frank Campisi
Cornerstone Dinner co-chair Jane-Page Crump and James Crump
all: pete baatz/formula one photography
Cornerstone Dinner co-chair Bill Stubbs, Jennifer Matthews, Glenn Bowen
Keynote
4 Spring 2012
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance 2011-2012 Board of Directors Officers
Patty Porter President
Larry E. Whaley Past President
Nancy Ames VP/Special Events Jane-Page Crump VP at Large
Lynne Bentsen Treasurer
Al Calloway VP/Communication
Eileen Hricik VP at Large
Madeleine Hamm Secretary
Bill Franks VP/Development
Patricia Laurent VP at Large
Rick Walton VP/Museum of Houston
directors
Ann Bookout Neal D. Carlson Lucky Chopra David Cottrell III
John Cryer III Diane Gendel Louise Girard
Benito Guerrier Elizabeth Husseini Penny Jones Janita Lo
Nancy McGregor Manne Kate McCormick William W. Stubbs
Phoebe Tudor Mary Ann Wilkins Chip Werlein Bradford A. Wyatt
ex officio
Charles D. Maynard, Jr. Legal Counsel
Marlene Gafrick Director, Houston Department of Planning and Development
Bart Truxillo Director Emeritus
business and not-for-profit members 1940 Air Terminal Museum Adept Word Management AGC Houston AIA Houston Amilee Wendt, ASID / Wendt Design Group Bailey Architects, Inc. Bering’s Bill Fisher Benefits Specialists Boulevard Oaks Ladies Club Bud Light / Silver Eagle Distributors Canyonlands Corp. Charles W. Ligon, AIA, Architects Cinco Energy Services Cisneros Design Studio Colquitt Court Civic Club Cooke + Skidmore Consulting Corp. Creative Touch Interiors David Cottrell Investments E&C Engineers & Consultants Fretz Construction Company Gabriel Architects, Inc. Gensler Gilbane Ginger Barber Design Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects, Inc.
Glenwood Cemetery, Inc. Madeleine M. Hamm / Design Communications HarrisonKornberg Architects HawesHillCalderon, LLP Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc. The Heritage Society Jerry Hernandez / Russo Services, Inc. Historic Magnolia Brewery Building HistoryConsultants.net Houston Mod Houston House & Home Peggy Hull, ASID / Creative Touch Interiors James Ray Architects Jane-Page Crump / Jane Page Design Group JD Miner Systems, LLC Kirksey Architecture The Lancaster Hotel Landmark Houston Hospitality Group Legacy Community Health Services Lehrer Financial & Economic Advisory Service Luxe Interiors + Design Houston Martha Turner Properties Matrix Spencer Architects McCoy Workplace Solutions McLane Group
Natalye Appel + Associates Architects Next Generation Advisors, LLC PageSoutherlandPage PGAL REHKA Engineering, Inc. San Jacinto Battleground Conservancy Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. Daphne Scarbrough / The Brass Maiden Schenk and Company Sibley Kopmeier Appraisal Associates South MacGregor Civic Club Sterling Structures, Inc. Stern and Bucek Architects Stewart Title Studio RED Architects SWCA Environmental Consultants Tellepsen Venetian Blind Carpet One W.S. Bellows Construction Ward & Ames Special Events William W. Stubbs & Associates Winlow Place Civic Club Woodland Heights Civic Association Wulfe & Co. Ziegler Cooper Architects
About Preservation Houston The mission of Preservation Houston 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. Preservation Houston is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. Preservation Houston is a member of Preservation Texas and Partners for Sacred Places. Greater Houston Preservation Alliance dba Preservation Houston. GHPA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Preservation Houston online www.preservationhouston.org @preshou Keynote David Bush, editor Jim Parsons, designer Copyright 2012, Preservation Houston. All rights reserved.
A Banner Event to preserve Houston’s first flag with author Steve Berry Wednesday, May 23, 2012 Information: 713-510-3990 or contact@preservationhouston.org
Preservation Houston 3272 Westheimer Road, Suite 2 Houston, Texas 77098-1008 Return service requested
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Houston, Texas Permit No. 712