Keynote Vol. 23, No. 2
Spring 2013
the newsletter of
Preservation Houston
Houston’s Local Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
www.preservationhouston.org
2013 preservation month luncheon
Discover hidden Texas history with PH It’s a tale with all the elements of a Hollywood script — missing diplomatic files, unsuspecting heirs, natural disaster — but it’s the true story of the Texas Legation Papers. During Preservation Houston’s 2013 Preservation Month Luncheon on Thursday, May 23, attendees will hear the dramatic account of the recovery of the Republic of Texas’ lost diplomatic papers — a tale that includes the descendants of both Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin and the unlikely story of how Hurricane Carla helped
Davis to retire after 17 years as PH director
start at $150 per person, or $100 for Preservation Houston members. Bryan and Stevens will sign copies of The Texas Legation Papers, 18361845 before and after their presentation. The book will be available for purchase for $50 ($45 for Preservation Houston members). The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated May as National Preservation Month with the theme “See! Save! Celebrate!” Preservation Houston is Houston’s Local Partner of the National Trust.
Windows on history
City to host Preservation Fair in May
Preservation Houston volunteer docent Dave Morris discusses the stained-glass windows with visitors to historic Christ Church Cathedral during Preservation Houston’s first Sacred Spaces of Houston Tour on Jan. 13. Two hundred people braved the rain on Super Bowl Sunday to take part in the event. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and South Main Baptist Church also welcomed guests during the tour, which was held in conjunction with the Sacred Spaces of Texas exhibit at Architecture Center Houston.
The City of Houston Planning & Development Department is hosting a half-day Historic Preservation Fair to provide educational tools and resources for protecting the character of the city’s historic districts. Preservation Houston is among the organizations taking part in the event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Houston Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Ave. Topics to be covered include repairing historic windows, the historic designation process, and planning appropriate repairs, alterations and additions to historic properties. Workshops are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required by noon May 15. To register online, visit www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres.
history in print
Free author series focuses on ‘Mr. Houston,’ Jesse Jones On Tuesday evening, June 11, Preservation Houston’s History in Print series will feature award-winning author Steven Fenberg discussing his book Unprecedented Power: Jesse Jones, Capitalism, and the Common Good, a fascinating and timely perspective on “Mr. Houston,” Jesse Holman Jones. Once considered the most powerful man in the United States after President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jones had slipped into the historical shadows until Unprecedented Power sparked interest in the Houston businessman’s instrumen-
tal role in salvaging capitalism during the Great Depression and militarizing industry to fight and win World War II. In addition to exploring Jones’ singular national contributions, Fenberg will look at the Houston entrepreneur’s role in developing the Houston Ship Channel and downtown Houston, including such landmarks as the Rice Hotel, the Gulf Building and the Metropolitan and Loew’s State theaters. History in Print is free and open to the Please see Print, Page 2
courtesy of houston endowment inc.
Please see Davis, Page 2
share previously untold stories that his studies of the papers have revealed. The 2013 Preservation Month Luncheon will be held May 23 at River Oaks Country Club, 1600 Bryan River Oaks Boulevard. The event includes a reception and book signing at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at noon. Reserve online at www.preservationhouston.org. Tickets
jim parsons
Preservation Houston Executive Director Ramona Davis announced her retirement at the March 20 Board of Directors meeting. Davis has been executive director since 1996. “For everything there is a season, and that is true in an organization as well as in life,” said PH President Patty Davis Porter. “We are so sad that our own executive director, Ramona Davis, is retiring, but it is a welldeserved retirement after 17 years at the helm. “During the years that she has led the organization, Ramona has developed an outstanding staff of three professionals and together they have increased Preservation Houston’s visibility and influence, never tiring in their efforts to promote the benefits of preservation. As we move into the future, we will continue to build on her legacy of energetically drawing new people into the love of and appreciation for Houston’s heritage. “Ramona has been such a pleasure to work with. I will miss her daily involvement in the organization, and I know I am only one of many who feel the same way. I know
bring these invaluable documents to light. Houston oil executive and Texana collector J.P. Bryan will discuss his role in recovering the documents and making Stevens them available to the public. Kenneth R. Stevens, professor of history at Texas Christian University and the editor of the new book The Texas Legation Papers, 1836-1845, will
Steel framing nears completion on Jesse Jones’ Gulf Building in this late 1920s photo.
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Good Brick winners have plans to restore a Fifth Ward landmark marketing as a teardown. Preservation Houston sent information about the building to potential investors with experience in renovations and restorations. The Ansells purchased the property in January and have started a website, www.2020hardy.com, posting progress reports and displaying some of the items they found while cleaning out the building. The couple received a Good Brick Award in 2011 for the sympathetic addition to their house on Sabine Street in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District.
david bush
Good Brick Award winners Bennie Flores Ansell and David Ansell have purchased the historic Zax Grocery Store, 2020 Hardy Street, on the Near Northside and plan to restore the building with commercial space on the first floor and apartments on the second. Another Good Brick recipient, Joe Meppelink, is the architect for the project. The late Victorian commercial building had stood vacant for many years when the heirs of the property’s last owner contacted Preservation Houston in 2012 looking for a buyer for the building, which their real estate agent was
Zax Grocery Store (c. 1902), 2020 Hardy Street
Two historic high schools eligible for NR
midtown
Former San Jacinto High building listed on National Register toric additions (1928, Hedrick & Gottlieb; 1936, Joseph Finger) are currently undergoing a $60 million renovation. In conjunction with the building’s rehabilitation, members of the San Jacinto High School Alumni Association are working to raise $1.5 million to restore the former court of honor as Memorial Green. The original park-like area in the 1300 block of Holman Street was paved for parking many years ago. The project will return much-needed green space to the campus. “We want to give the students who went there a chance to be a part of the renovation and be a part of the school,” said alumni association chairman Alan Finger.
Davis
david bush
The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved the inclusion of Houston Community College’s San Jacinto Memorial Building in the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official listing of historic properties worthy of preservation. The building’s long association with public education as well as its neoclassical and Art Deco architecture qualified the site for designation. Constructed as South End Junior High School (1914, Layton & Smith), the building housed San Jacinto High School from 1926 to 1971, when Houston Community College began offering classes in the building. The original 1914 structure and two his-
A scale model of the San Jacinto Monument, now surrounded by construction materials, will be the centerpiece of Memorial Green in front of Houston Community College’s restored San Jacinto Memorial Building.
“It’s going to be a beautiful, beautiful area.” The project is expected to be complete in time for the building’s centennial in 2014.
To read more about Memorial Green or make an online donation to the project, please visit www.hccsfoundation. org/memorialgreen.
Texas Historical Commission has determined that Austin High School, 1700 Dumble, and Lamar High School, 3325 Westheimer, are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Preservation Houston requested the determination of eligibility after the passage of Houston ISD’s 2012 bond issue put the future of the historic buildings in doubt. Outside consultants have recommended the demolition of Austin High School (1937). Lamar High School’s historic building (1937) could either be gutted and remodeled or demolished except for its front façade and auditorium. In a letter to HISD Superintendent Terry B. Grier, THC said it “supports the retention and preservation of these significant historic buildings” and that THC staff is available to consult with HISD.
Showing Texas courthouses some love
continued from Page 1 she will remain actively interested in Preservation Houston,” Porter said. The Board of Directors has formed a search committee to fill the position. “No one person does everything. Countless people have collaborated to bring historic preservation to the forefront in Houston,” Davis said. “It has taken the concerted efforts of volunteers, board members, staff and friends to demonstrate how we can develop our city without losing our heritage. “I will remain involved in historic preservation. It is still a passion,” she said.
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public. The program will be held in Fondren Hall on the second floor of the Jones Youth Building at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street, in the Museum District. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11. The program begins at 6:30. Free parking is available in the surface lot on the northeast corner of Fannin Street at Binz. After the presentation, the author will sign copies of his book. Unprecedented Power will be available for purchase at the event for $35 ($30 for Preservation Houston members).
Preservation supporters turned out on the steps of the 1910 Harris County Courthouse on Presidents’ Day to show their love for Texas courthouses. Similar gatherings were planned at historic courthouses across the state to encourage the Texas Legislature to retain funding in the next state budget for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. Funds from the preservation program were used to plan the recent restoration of the Harris County Courthouse. Preservation Houston was invited to take part in the cooperative effort organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Texas and Texas Historical Commission. The National Trust included Texas’ historic courthouses on its 2012 list of the nation’s most endangered historic places.
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villa de luxe
Shadyside showhouse sparkles at ’20s-themed Speakeasy Soirée
The 1920s roared again when Preservation Houston hosted its Speakeasy Soirée at the historic F.A. Heitmann House on February 1. The Jazz Age-themed event kicked off three designer showhouse weekends at the rechristened Villa de Luxe in Shadyside. Preservation Houston
thanks Antoinette Siegler for generously sharing her beautiful home for the project, which allowed visitors to experience first-hand the work of some of Houston’s leading interior designers. Preservation Houston President-elect JanePage Crump and designer Bill Stubbs co-chaired
the showhouse. PH vice-presidents Nancy Ames and Eileen Hricik were co-chairs for the Soirée. The Villa de Luxe Designer Showhouse was sponsored by Luxe Interiors + Design, Martha Turner Properties and Christie’s International Real Estate.
both: kim coffman/luxe interiors + design
Soirée co-chair and Preservation Houston Vice President Nancy Ames, Danny Ward, soirée co-chair and PH Vice President Eileen Hricik, George Hricik, Dorothy Ables, PH board member Mickey Ables.
Showhouse co-chair and Preservation Houston President-elect Jane-Page Crump, Martha Turner, CEO and president, Martha Turner Properties; Pamela Jaccarino, VP and editor-inchief, Luxe Interiors + Design; showhouse co-chair Bill Stubbs.
2013 cornerstone dinner
Preservationists gather to celebrate 2013 Good Brick Awards
Almost four hundred guests attended the Cornerstone Dinner at River Oaks Country Club on February 28 to recognize the recipients of the 2013 Good Brick Awards for excellence in historic preservation. In addition to 14 Good Bricks, Preservation Houston presented Community Pillar
Awards to Beth Madison and J.P. Bryan for their service to the community and their contributions to Houston’s prosperity. Preservation Houston board member Lynne Bentsen and her son Clay Crawford co-chaired the event with Helen Bering and her son Walter.
Veteran broadcaster and Preservation Houston board member Doug Johnson and ABC 13 Eyewitness News reporter Deborah Wrigley served as emcees for the evening. To see other photos from the Cornerstone Dinner, visit www.kimcoffmanphoto.com.
Mayor Annise Parker
Libbie Masterson and dinner co-chair Walter Bering
Dinner co-chairs Lynne Bentsen and Clay Crawford
all: kim coffman
Ralph Burch and Community Pillar Award recipient Beth Madison
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Preservation Houston 2012-2013 Board of Directors Officers
Patty Porter President Chip Werlein Treasurer
Jane-Page Crump President-elect
Madeleine Hamm Secretary
Eileen Hricik VP/Public Relations
Larry E. Whaley Past President
Nancy Ames VP/Special Events
Patricia Laurent VP/Nominating
Al Calloway VP/Communication
Kate McCormick VP at Large
directors
Mickey Ables Lynne Bentsen Neal D. Carlson
David Cottrell III John Cryer III Bill Franks Diane Gendel
Benito Guerrier Elizabeth Husseini Madeleine Hussey Doug Johnson
Penny Jones Deborah Keyser Nancy McGregor Manne Sarah McMullen
Diane Ofner Philip A. Williams 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 AIA Houston Chapter Amilee Wendt, ASID / Wendt Design Group Axiom Bering’s Boulevard Oaks Ladies Club Bud Light / Silver Eagle Distributors Canyonlands Corp. Charles W. Ligon, AIA, Architect Cinco Energy Services Cisneros Design Studio Colquitt Court Civic Club Cooke + Skidmore Consulting Corp. Creative Property Restoration Creative Touch Interiors David Cottrell Investments E&C Engineers & Consultants Fretz Construction Company Frost Bank Gensler Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects, Inc. Glenwood Cemetery, Inc. Madeleine M. Hamm / Design Communications
Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc. HBL Architects The Heritage Society Jerry Hernandez / Russo Services, Inc. Historic Magnolia Brewery Building HistoryConsultants.net Houston Arts and Media Houston Mod Houston House & Home INFILL Planning & Development James Ray Architects Jane-Page Crump / Jane Page Design Group JD Miner Systems, LLC Kirksey Architecture The Lancaster Hotel Landmark Houston Hospitality Group Lanson B. Jones Co., Inc. Luxe Interiors + Design Houston Madison Benefits Group Martha Turner Properties Newberry Campa Architects, LLC Next Generation Advisors, LLC PageSoutherlandPage Past Era Antique Jewelry Pasternak Custom Homes
Peggy Hull Interiors, LLC Pella Windows and Doors of Houston PGAL REHKA Engineering, Inc. San Jacinto Battleground Conservancy Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. Daphne Scarbrough / The Brass Maiden Schenk & Company Sibley Kopmeier Appraisal Associates Smith & Co. Architects 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 Reaves Fine Art, LLC William W. Stubbs & Associates Woodland Heights Civic Association Wulfe & Co. Ziegler Cooper
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 2013, Preservation Houston. All rights reserved.
2013 Preservation Month Luncheon with featured speakers J.P. Bryan and Kenneth R. Stevens, Ph.D. Noon Thursday, May 23, 2013 River Oaks Country Club Tickets: (713) 510-3990 or www.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