SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 SAVING WEST TEXAS 2019
Saving West Texas 2019 provides an overview of Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Places listings in the West Texas region, as well as useful information about Preservation Texas and how you can work to protect cultural and historic sites where you live.
• To engage in historical and archaeological research on the activities of past Texans; and
Preservation Texas also owns Bassett Farms Conservancy, a 2,400-acre working cattle ranch and former cotton farm located southeast of Waco in Falls and Limestone counties. The Conservancy is being developed as a preservation and conservation training center and retreat. Founded in 1871, the farm and ranch was bequeathed to the Preservation Texas in 2011 by the late Mrs. Willie Ford (Bassett) Sparkman, and includes a range of historic, natural and cultural resources. Programs will focus on developing historic preservation skills, while the property is being managed holistically to encourage native landscape restoration in harmony with continued ranching operations.
1. To serve as an auxiliary to all agencies of the State of Texas concerned with our history, heritage, and the
Te chartered purposes of the organization are broad and intended to enable a range of preservation activities:
1.0 / ABOUT PRESERVATION TEXAS Preservation Texas is a private, 501(c)(3) nonproft organization, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Austin. Te organization receives no public funding and relies on membership dues, grants and donations for its work. A volunteer Board of Directors, drawn from a range of professional and community backgrounds, governs the organization and provides direction to its small staff
2.0 / PROTECTING HISTORIC PLACES
Tis section provides an overview of programs and resources that can be useful to protect an endangered place. Page 1
• To disseminate knowledge of the history, prehistory, heritage and culture of Texas;
• To serve as an auxiliary to all agencies of the State of Texas concerned with our history, heritage, and the preservation and maintenance of significant areas, sites, buildings, monuments and artifacts; • To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise or bequest, with or without restriction, and to preserve, restore, maintain and present to the public those areas, sites, buildings, monuments, artifacts, documents, and objects which are significant in the history, prehistory, archaeology, architecture, heritage and culture of Texas;
• To foster, encourage and develop a general appreciation and understanding of the
accomplishments of past generations of Texans in order that the lives of present and future generations may be enriched. The organization fulfills its mission through (A) Legislative Advocacy by alerting its members to important legislation being considered by the State of Texas and providing written and oral testimony at bill hearings; (B) Local Advocacy by intervening on behalf of local stakeholders who ask for support from Preservation Texas; (C) Educational Programs such as the biennial Legislative Summit in Austin and in-depth symposia on historic preservation topics of interest; (D) Honor Awards that recognize outstanding preservation efforts presented at the biennial Legislative Summit; and (E) our signature Most Endangered Places program, begun in 2004; more about this program will follow (Section 6.0).
Cohesive areas or neighborhoods may also be listed on the National Register as Historic Districts. A majority of the properties within a historic district must have historic signifcance and retain their historic character — such properties are known as contributing properties . Contributing properties are Page 2
Te National Register of Historic Places was created in 1966 under the National Historic Preservation Act. Te process begins with submission of a comprehensive nomination form to the Texas Historical Commission. It is then reviewed by the State Board of Review before being forwarded to the National Park Service for fnal approval. In Texas (2019) there are 3,329 listings on the National Register, of which 366 are Historic Districts. National Register properties are evaluated for the quality of their signifcance and must possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Tey must be associated with signi f cant events or signi f cant people, embody a distinctive architectural type, period, method of construction, the work of a master, artistic value, or be likely to yield important information in history or prehistory. Cemeteries, birthplaces, graves, religious structures, commemorative properties and relocated structures are typically not listed, but there are exceptions. Individually listed buildings and sites that are added to the National Register are classifed as being of local, statewide or national signifcance. Typically, but not always, these buildings must be at least ffty years old. Te Texas Historical Commission can work with you to determine if an unlisted building might be eligible for listing before a formal nomination is submitted.
Te Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Sites Atlas enables you to search for specifc buildings and to see all of the sites recognized at the state and federal levels. Be sure to verify the information in the Atlas by contacting the Texas Historical Commission as no database is perfect. Te website is https://Atlas.THC.State.tx.us
Historic places may be officially recognized as historic by federal, state and local governments. Tese designations serve a range of purposes; some tied to incentives and some tied to regulations. Just because a site has not been designated does not mean that it lacks signifcance; more than likely, no effort has yet been made to recognize it as almost all such designations are initiated at the local level by property owners, advocates, historical societies, preservation organizations or historical commissions. However, efforts to save sites are often more successful when those buildings have federalor state-level designations. Tese designations give assurance to decision-makers, grantfunders and the general public that has welldocumented signifcance. Terefore, a plan to secure designation should be put in place for any endangered resource that is not yet designated. Te regulatory effects of designation vary. Federal designation provides no regulatory oversight of historic places; state designation provides from limited (Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks) to strong (State Antiquities Landmarks) oversight. Maximum oversight is typically found at the local level through the designation of local landmarks and local historic districts, although some local ordinances are very weak and ineffective.
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 2.1 /
TEXAS HISTORIC SITES ATLAS
Historic Designations
FEDERAL DESIGNATIONS
Tere is a limited amount of protection afforded by the RTHL designation. A person may not alter the historic or architectural integrity of an RTHL without notifying the Texas Historical Commission at least 60 days in advance. Interiors are not regulated unless the changes impact the exterior or the structural integrity of the building.
State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) are designated by the Texas Historical Commission and are protected under the Antiquities Code of Texas. Any building listed on the National Register that is located on non-federal public land (state, county, or city) is eligible for designation. Sites can be nominated by any group or individual, and are considered by the Antiquities Advisory Board before a fnal vote by the Texas Historical Commission.
For a site of exceptional signifcance, the National Park Service will very selectively consider nominations for its designation as a National Historic Landmark , a speci f c category that recognizes sites of special importance to all Americans. Tus the use of the phrases “listed on the National Register” and “historic landmark” are not interchangeable. Federal programs treat National Historic Landmarks somewhat differently because of their status, including greater protection if a federal project threatens to impact the site, or access to grants such as the Save America’s Treasures grant program.
Te Historic Texas Cemeteries program began in 1998. Cemeteries receiving this designation are protected by a record of their boundaries in county deeds and future owners of adjoining land are alerted of its existence. However, the designation provides no regulatory oversight over the property. Other Page 3
Federal designation comes with no regulatory oversight by the federal government. Te National Park Service plays no direct role in the planning, management or any other decision-making related to sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, sites listed on the National Register or contributing to a National Register Historic District may be eligible for the 20% rehabilitation tax credit.
STATE DESIGNATIONS
Te SAL designation is the most restrictive state-level designation available as it requires the property owner to consult with the Commission to determine if proposed alterations or demolition can proceed.
Archaeological sites may also be designated as SALs but do not need to be listed on the National Register.
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 afforded the same grant opportunities and incentives as sites that are individually listed
Te Texas Historical Commission reviews and approves nominations for buildings to be designated as Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. Landmarks must be at least ffty years of age or older and retain architectural integrity. Buildings cannot become RTHLs if historic features are obscured by non-historic materials, such as vinyl siding, or if they have been relocated within the last ffty years. Nominations are submitted through the local County Historical Commission. Sites that are designated as RTHLs are recognized with Official Texas Historical Markers. It should be noted, however, that just because a building or site has a state marker does not mean that it is an RTHL. Tere are over 16,000 Official Texas Historical Markers; of those only about 3,800 are RTHLs. Te majority of buildings or sites are recognized with what is known as a subject marker. A marker should have “Recorded Texas Historic Landmark” stamped at the bottom if it is an RTHL.
Te National Park Service has published ffty Preservation Briefs that are available online Preserve/Briefs.htmhttps://www.NPS.gov/TPS/How-to-at:
Tese briefs cover a range of specifc topics from Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (Brief #2) to Preserving Grave Markers in Historic Cemeteries (Brief #49). T ese technical briefs provide excellent illustrated examples to better inform property stewards about best practices.
3.0 / PRESERVATION TAX INCENTIVES Financial incentives are available at the federal, state and sometimes local level for historic preservation. 3.1 / Federal Tax Incentives Federal historic preservation incentives are managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the Texas Historical Page 4
2.2 / Preservation Guidelines Te Secretary of the Interior’s Standards are applied to almost every decision made at the federal, state and local level relative to proposed physical changes to a historic place.
LOCAL LANDMARKS AND DISTRICTS
Tese Standards were established in 1977 by the National Park Service under the authority of the United States Secretary of the Interior and provide guidelines for Preservation (maintaining a structure as found); Restoration (uncovering, protecting and recreating features that would have been present during a speci f c period of signifcance); Rehabilitation (protecting key character-defning features while modifying other parts of the structure for contemporary uses); and Reconstruction (rebuilding a known, lost historic structure using extensive historical documentation). Museum properties and exceptionally unique structures are typically preserved or restored; buildings that are being put to new uses or that have lost much of their historic integrity are generally rehabilitated . Historically accurate reconstructions are uncommon and usually undertaken for museum sites or minor outbuildings on private property. Conversely, the standards encourage new construction to re f ect contemporary aesthetics using compatible materials, form and scale.
2.3 / Preservation Briefs
Information about the Standards as well as Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes can be found at: https:// www.NPS.gov/TPS/Standards.htm
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 state laws govern the handling of human remains and cemeteries in Texas. Historic Texas Cemetery designation is required before applying for an O ffi cial Texas Historical Marker for a cemetery.
State law enables local governments to create local historic districts. Tese are typically, but not always, accomplished through zoning amendments, creating provisions that govern alteration and potential demolition of local landmarks as well as new construction within locally designated historic districts. Tere is no standard set of regulations or guidelines in use statewide. While many local preservation ordinances are similar, each one is tailored to suit the needs and objectives of the community. Some communities are better than others in making information about local landmarks and historic districts available online; be sure to contact the local preservation or planning official for current information about landmarks, historic district boundaries, and relevant regulations.
4.0 / PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAMS
T e charitable donation of a historic preservation easement to a qualifying organization such as Preservation Texas provides additional tax benefts. An easement permanently protects a structure and its site by prohibiting changes to the exterior (and in some cases interior) features and by restricting land uses. Tese restrictions are voluntary and negotiated between the landowner and the donee organization within federal guidelines.
Te value of the donation is determined by a professional appraiser who considers the potential reduction of the market value of the property after the imposition of these voluntary restrictions.
Tis strategy has been successfully employed to save, for example, the Plainview Hilton in Plainview, Texas.
Te Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit became effective in 2015. It provides for a tax credit of 25% of qualifying project costs for the rehabilitation of buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks or as State Antiquities Landmarks. Only buildings are eligible, and they must be used for income-producing or non-proft purposes. State tax credits can be combined with federal tax Government-ownedcredits.
Many local governments have adopted tax abatement or exemption programs to encourage the rehabilitation of historic structures, typically in historic downtown commercial districts managed by Main Street programs or in historic residential districts. Details about these local programs can be found by contacting the City Manager or similar official in the city in which a building is located. If your community does not yet have a local program, consider advocating for the establishment of such a program.
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 Commission. Information can be found incentivesIncentives.htmhttps://www.NPS.gov/TPS/Tax-at:Asummaryofthesefederalfollows.
Income-producing historic buildings that are certifed by the National Park Service as historic structures (typically those listed on the National Register of Historic Places) are eligible for a 20% income tax credit based on the qualifying costs of the project. Eligible properties include commercial, industrial, agricultural or rental residential properties.
Te rehabilitation of large historic structures often make use of a combination of the 20% tax credit and the Tax Credit for Low-Income Housing (approximately 9% of project costs).
structures do not qualify unless they have been leased, typically to a non-proft organization for an extended term. Non-proft organizations, despite not paying taxes, can sell their state tax credit. For example, a $100,000 church restoration may result in a $25,000 tax credit that can be sold by the church to a Texas corporation that pays the state franchise tax or state insurance premium tax. Tax credit brokers may also purchase a credit. Te dollar value of the credit is negotiated between the tax credit certifcate holder and the purchaser, typically somewhat less than face value.
3.3 / Local Tax Incentives
3.2 / State Tax Incentives
Federal, state and local historic designations for at-risk historic properties open the door to potential grants for restoration or rehabilitation. Grant funds are limited and highly competitive, and only signi f cant historic places with urgent preservation needs Page 5
Te most signifcant federal grant program is the Save America’s Treasures grant program. Tese grants are limited to National Historic Landmarks or buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of signifcance. Grants range from $125,000 to $500,000.
Some grant funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture may be available for the rehabilitation of historic structures, particularly those that will be used for community economic development purposes. Te National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities will sometimes have grant opportunities that apply to historic structures being used for the arts or for museum purposes. Visit grants.gov for more information about federal grant opportunities.
4.3 / Nonprofit and Foundation Grant Programs
Preservation Texas played a leading role in the establishment of the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation program. Since 1999, 70 historic county courthouses have received full restoration grants and another 26 have received emergency or planning grants.
• San Angelo (Tom Green Co.)
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 are usually awarded these grants. A summary of grant programs follows.
• El Paso (El Paso Co.)
4.2 / State Grant Programs
Some nonpro f t organizations and foundations offer grant opportunities that Page 6
4.1 / Federal Grant Programs
More widely used are Historic Preservation Fund grants, administered through the Texas Historical Commission’s Certi f ed Local Government (CLG) program. Tese grants are available for historic resource surveys, National Register nominations, local preservation plans, local ordinance or guidelines development as well as repairs in CLG communities. Grants range from $2,000 to $30,000. CLGs must meet federal standards with respect to their local preservation regulatory system; CLGs in West Texas are: • City of El Paso (El Paso Co.) • City of San Angelo (Tom Green Co.)
• City of Socorro (El Paso Co.)
• Val Verde County Te Preserve America grant program remains authorized by Congress but in recent years has not received any federal funding. Tis grant program supported preservation planning activities designated Preserve America communities. Preserve America in West Texas are: • Alpine (Brewster Co.)
• Odessa (Ector Co.)
Te Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Preservation Trust Fund supports historic site acquisition, survey, restoration, preservation, planning and heritage education relating to historic architecture and archaeological sites. Tese are competitive grants that can provide up to $30,000 in funding.
Te competitive program is administered by the Texas Historical Commission. West Texas counties that have completed courthouse restorations through this program are: Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Menard, Presidio, Sutton, and Val Verde. Counties in West Texas with approved master plans are: Brewster, Concho, Crockett, Kimble, Kinney, and Tom Green. Te only counties that are not eligible are El Paso and Midland because their courthouses are not historic.
Te national advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. is Preservation Action (www.PreservationAction.org), a 501(c)(4) nonproft that works to develop historic preservation programs through advocacy for federal legislation in the U.S. Congress.
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020 have been utilized to save endangered places in Texas.
5.1 / National Organizations
T e Texas Historical Foundation ( www.TexasHistoricalFoundation.org ) provides grants of up to $5,000 that have been used for restoration projects. Te Summerlee Foundation based in Dallas has also provided extensive grant funding for preservation projects across Texas. Regional community foundations are also an important source of donor-directed grants that might be available for your project. Historic structures in railroad communities have benefted from grants by the BNSF Railway Foundation (BNSFFoundation.org) or the Union Paci f c Foundation (www.UP.com) depending on which rail line operates in the community. Grants for building materials for small projects have been awarded by the Home Depot; big box building supply stores will sometimes donate materials and equipment with a letter submitted to the store manager. Financial institutions that serve your community often have grant programs. Some may be directed by local branch managers; others require application to the bank’s national headquarters.
For many people working to save a historic place, the role of di ff erent government agencies and organizations can be confusing. Each plays an important but specifc role. Understanding what these agencies and organizations can (and can’t) do will help you chart a course for action.
Te National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.SavingPlaces.org/grants)
5.0 / HISTORIC PRESERVATION AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Te National Park Service (www.NPS.gov) is the principle federal agency governing historic preservation programs. Most importantly, they oversee the National Register of Historic Places and the federal tax credit program.
offers grants through its Preservation Fund; additional grant programs for historic African-American places and for Sacred Places have recently been initiated. Te Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund supports historic interiors and the Southwest Intervention Fund is available for sites in West Texas.
T e Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (www.ACHP.gov) is a small, independent federal agency that promotes historic preservation across the federal government. It advises the President and Congress on national preservation policy, with a special focus on implementation of the National Historic Preservation Act.
Te National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.SavingPlaces.org) is a private, nonproft organization that manages historic sites, intervenes in preservation lawsuits, manages the 11 Most Endangered List, and provides educational programming through its national conference. It is not a government agency and has no role in administering federal programs.
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5.2 / State Organizations
Local nonproft preservation organizations operate independently of government and typically support advocacy and educational programs. Each organization is different; some administer historic sites, and some do not. City-focused organizations often provide assistance to smaller communities in their home counties.
One local preservation organization is Te Trost Society ( https://trostsociety.org/). Teir mission is "to promote the legacy of Trost & Trost and other eminent architectural frms of the American Southwest, educate the public about the rich architectural heritage of our region through the twentieth century, and advocate for historic preservation and restoration." 6.0 / MOST ENDANGERED PLACES LIST
5.3 / Local Organizations
T e Texas Historical Commission ( www.THC.gov ) is the state historic preservation office, based in Austin. As a state agency they administer state programs and act as a liaison for federal programs. With over 250 staff members, they provide assistance in a range of programs and also administer the state’s Main Street program. Main Street communities in West Texas are Del Rio and San Angelo.
Established in 2004, the Texas’ Most Endangered Places list is the signature program of Preservation Texas. Over the last ffteen years, 162 sites and themes have been added to the list (an average of about 11 sites per year), of which only twelve have been lost.
Te list is designed to provide statewide publicity for important historic places at risk of imminent loss. Sites are nominated to Preservation Texas by its members and selections are announced in February or March each year. Preservation Texas provides advocacy and technical support for these places when requested by local advocates. A list of West Texas sites that remain endangered follows. Page 8
PRESERVATION TEXAS SAVING WEST TEXAS 2020
Another important organization is Partners for Sacred Places (www.SacredPlaces.org), a nonproft organization based in Philadelphia that supports stewardship of active congregations in older sacred places through capital campaign training and technical assistance. Te organization has a Texas office.
Most Texas counties have established a County Historical Commission (CHC). Tese volunteer groups provide countywide guidance to deliver educational programs, operate history museums, and advise the Texas Historical Commission on historic marker applications, for example. Some CHCs are very active while others meet infrequently, if ever. Your CHC can be an important resource, particularly if you are seeking historic designations for an endangered place. Local governments that have adopted preservation ordinances usually establish a historic commission, landmark commission or similarly named committee of volunteers. T ese commissions administer local preservation programs, including local landmark designations, approval of historic building permits, and the development of preservation plans for the community.
Preservation Texas is the only statewide nonproft historic preservation advocacy and education organization in Texas (Section 1.0).
The two-story Classical Revival mansion was home to Kentucky-born Albert Bacon Fall (1861-1944). He gained notoriety as a circuit judge in the New Mexico Territory and served as the new state’s first elected senator from 1912-1921, where he was recognized as an expert in U.S.-Mexico affairs. Appointed as the Secretary of the Interior under President Warren G. Harding, He served from 1921-1923 and was convicted of accepting a bribe during the Teapot Dome scandal. The house is significant because of the connection to Fall’s life, and its age and architectural design. Community organizations including the Historic Landmark Commission of the City of El Paso, El Paso Preservation Alliance and the El Paso County Historical Commission worked with the City’s Historic Preservation Officer and kept the community’s attention on the structure. As a result, the City of El Paso acquired the house by eminent domain, buying the property from the owner. The house will be leased for use by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso. It is a great example of community collaboration using an ordinance as intended to save a significant property.
ADDRESS 1 725 Arizona Avenue, El Paso DESIGNATION None CONDITION Good OWNER The City of El Paso BUILDING TYPE Residential CONSTRUCTION DATE 1907 YEAR LISTED 2015 EL PASO COUNTY
ALBERT B. FALL MANSION
. ADDRESS 2317 Texas Street, El Paso DESIGNATION None CONDITION Fair OWNER Private BUILDING TYPE Fire Station/Commerical CONSTRUCTION DATE 1908 YEAR LISTED 2017 EL PASO COUNTY
On July 26, 1924, Dr. Lawrence A. Nixon (1883-1966) was denied the right to vote in the Texas Democratic primary because he was black. He attempted to cast his vote at the East El Paso Fire Station (No. 5), located at 2317 Texas Avenue in El Paso. The El Paso chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. brought a successful lawsuit on Dr. Nixon’s behalf, Nixon v. Herndon (1927), in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that the 1923 Texas law stipulating that “in no event shall a negro be eligible to participate in a Democratic primary election held in the State of Texas” violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.In response to invalidation of the statewide legislative ban, the Texas legislature passed a new law that empowered political parties to independently ban blacks from participating in party primaries. The East El Paso Fire Station (No. 5) has architectural significance apart from its association with Nixon v. Herndon. Completed in 1908, the station was designed by the leading architectural firm in El Paso at that time, Trost & Trost. The exterior of the building was recently restored by the owner. This building should be considered for National Historic Landmark (NHL) designation as it appears to meet the criteria outlined in the Civil Rights in America: Racial Voting Rights theme study (2007)
EAST EL PASO FIRE STATION (NO. 5)
EL PASO & SOUTHWESTERN RAILROAD & FREIGHT DEPOT
DESIGNATIONADDRESS Local Historic Landmark CONDITION Good OWNER El Paso & Southwestern Railroad & Freight BUILDING TYPE Depot CONSTRUCTION DATE 1903 YEAR LISTED 2006 EL PASO COUNTY
load, unload
store
This 1903 Italianate terminal, designed by Daniel H. Burnham and built by the Phelps-Dodge Company, allowed merchants to or freight shipped on the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad. Not only is this building listed as a local historic landmark for its historical significance, but its nationally known architect also designed Union Station in Washington, D.C. and the El Paso Union Depot.
The Socorro Mission, Nuestra Senora de Limpia Concepcion de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of the Piros of Socorro of the South), was established in the late seventeenth century by Spanish missionaries in attempt to Christianize the Piro Indians. The Socorro Mission remains a functioning Catholic parish and is open to the public. The mission complex includes the mission, the Lourdes Grotto, old and new cemeteries, the Parish hall, grounds and the one-story adobe rectory. The 1840s rectory is the only surviving example of a Mexican/Territorial structure intended for use by a parish priest in the West Texas/Southern New Mexico/Northern Mexico region. Thought to have been constructed in an L-shape, the rectory now has a square floor plan with a center courtyard. The building is in poor condition due to moisture entrapment and differential movement caused by the application of cement-based products beginning in the 1920s. Cracks and fractures are visible in the interior and exterior stucco surfaces. After completing the restoration of the Mission several years ago, the parish has focused its attention on the restoration of the rectory. Fundraising for this ambitious plan is proceeding slowly and is a difficult task for the small Socorro community.
ADDRESS 328 S. Nevarez Road, Socorro CONDITIONDESIGNATION Good OWNER Socorro Mission BUILDING TYPE Adobe/Associated with a Place of Worship CONSTRUCTION DATE c.1840 YEAR LISTED 2009 EL PASO COUNTY
SOCORRO MISSION RECTORY
ADOBES OF PRESIDIO COUNTY
The “vanishing adobes” encompass some of the last remaining adobe buildings along the ancient Chihuahua Trail from Ciudad Chihuahua through West Texas. Early Anglo settlers constructed these buildings for settlement and trade using traditional building forms and materials. These sites include important archeological opportunities such as Alamo Ranch, one of the most complete ranching complexes in the Trans-Pecos region. The structures are threatened by neglect, erosion, and development. For more information, see Adobe in Texas by Ralph Newlan (2008), produced for the Texas Department of Transportation.
ADDRESS County-Wide DESIGNATION N/A CONDITION Assorted OWNER Assorted BUILDING TYPE Assorted CONSTRUCTION DATE Assorted YEAR LISTED 2015 PRESIDIO COUNTY
THE CAPLES BUILDING
Designed by Henry C. Trost for Richard Caples, a former mayor of El Paso, the 1909 commercial building was the first reinforced concrete structure in El Paso. The Caples Building originally was constructed as a five-story, U-shaped building, and in 1915-1916, Trost was commissioned to design two additional stories.In the early 1910s, Francisco I. Madero used the top floors of the building as the headquarters for his provisional government and frequent occupants consisted of members of the “junto” such as Alberto Fuentes, Braulio Hernandez, and Francisco “Pancho” Villa. The Caples Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the El Paso Historic Register. The interior of the building was recently cleaned out and stripped down to framing by the current owners. They have now placed the building back up for sale.
ADDRESS 00-306 East San Antonio Avenue, El Paso DESIGNATION NRHP, El Paso Historic Register CONDITION Fair OWNER Private BUILDING TYPE Commerical CONSTRUCTION DATE 1909, 1916 YEAR LISTED 2008 EL PASO COUNTY
DURANGUITO
Duranguito was the first settled site in what is now El Paso. There was a large Apache camp there intermittently from 1778 to 1825, and it reached a maximum population of 1,000 men, women and children in the 1790s. In 1827, Juan Maria Ponce de Leon crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico and established a ranch there. The neighborhood was platted in 1859 and by the 1890s was a thriving residential and commercial area, with numerous Victorianstyle buildings. The fate of Duranguito has been in the courts since May 2, 2017, when the City of El Paso, which assumed eminent domain authority over the area in preparation for constructing a multipurpose basketball arena, launched a lawsuit against preservationists and local residents. Five of the buildings were badly damaged by a bulldozer in September 2017 and the neighborhood has been fenced off since that time. There is currently an injunction against demolition and the litigation is ongoing. Two architectural surveys have identified 14 buildings within the so-called “Arena Footprint” that are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. These include the last surviving building associated with the city’s early Chinese community, the city’s last surviving “old West” brothel, an Art Deco fire station designed by the iconic firm Trost & Trost, and several structures associated with Mexican-American history and culture. Two elderly female residents live in the path of the arena project and refuse to leave their homes.
ADDRESS Downtown El Paso DESIGNATION Assorted Eligible CONDITION Assorted OWNER Assorted BUILDING TYPE Assorted CONSTRUCTION DATE Assorted YEAR LISTED 2018 EL PASO COUNTY Image: The Texas Tribue
EL SEGUNDO BARRIO
A late-19th century neighborhood with early adobe buildings in downtown El Paso would benefit from more detailed documentation, research and legal protection, inspiring heritage tourism in a remarkable city. After El Paso City Council rejected grant money to fund a downtown historic structures survey in 2015, local advocates secured County funding for the survey.
The rich history of our border communities is expressed through architectural forms that pre-date the coming of the railroads in the 1880s. Places like El Paso and Laredo were transformed by the availability of pre-cut lumber, cast iron, and decorative building materials that were widely available once trains connected these remote places. As they grew, pre-railroad vernacular adobe and stone structures were destroyed, and the vernacular buildings traditions lost. Yet in places like El Azteca in Laredo and Segundo Barrio in El Paso, pre-railroad architecture and traditions hold their own. They need to be documented, maintained and preserved.
ADDRESS Downtown El Paso DESIGNATION None CONDITION Assorted OWNER Assorted BUILDING TYPE Assorted CONSTRUCTION DATE Assorted YEAR LISTED 2016 EL PASO COUNTY
Photo: Brian Kanof
HART’S MILL / OLD FORT BLISS
A tract of land on the Rio Grande in El Paso holds archaeological and architectural evidence of many layers of history. From the 1598 crossing of Juan de Oňate along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (a World Heritage Site in Mexico), to the development of Simeon Hart’s mill in the 1850s, to the construction of adobe officers quarters at Old Fort Bliss between 1878 and 1893, the story of colonial settlement and subsequent development in Texas can be told here. Modern intrusions obscure this history, including elevated highway ramps, roads, parking lots, river channelization, modifications to the Hart’s Mill building, and the construction of a pedestrian fence by the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, plans for highway improvements will impact this site as well. Partnerships at the local, state, regional and national levels can ensure that historic resources here can be protected and stewarded while minimizing impacts from new construction. Paisano
ADDRESS 1720 West
Dr., El Paso DESIGNATION None CONDITION Fair OWNER Assorted BUILDING TYPE Cultural Landscape CONSTRUCTION DATE Assorted YEAR LISTED 2015 EL PASO COUNTY
Established in 1915 as El Paso’s second poor farm, Rio Vista Farm flourished through the Great Depression in 1929 and began hosting an array of public welfare programs shortly afterward. It served as a temporary base for a Civilian Conservation Corps unit in 1936 and as the reception and processing center for the Bracero Program from 1951 to 1964, when it closed. Unlike most Texas poor farms of the time, Rio Vista’s familial model welcomed and accepted neglected children in addition to the indigent adult population, sheltering hundreds of them throughout its operating years. Rio Vista Farm is one of many adobe structures in West Texas that will benefit from hands-on training in adobe construction and restoration. Relatively simple in construction, the structures at Rio Vista Farm can be used as a living classroom to train Texans young and old in the skills required to work with adobe. The lessons learned at Rio Vista Farm can then be applied to historic sites throughout west Texas, where adobe structures await preservation. In 2015, the City of Socorro allocated $1.1 million towards the restoration of the Farm. In 2016, Rio Vista Farms was declared a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
ADDRESS 901 N. Rio Vista Road, Socorro DESIGNATION National Treasure CONDITION Good OWNER City of Socorro BUILDING TYPE Farmstead CONSTRUCTION DATE 1915 YEAR LISTED 2015 EL PASO COUNTY
RIO VISTA FARM
SHIP-ON-THE-DESERT
ADDRESS Guadalupe Mountains National Park DESIGNATION NRHP CONDITION Fair OWNER National Park Service BUILDING TYPE Residential CONSTRUCTION DATE 1941 YEAR LISTED CULBERSON2018 COUNTY
The Ship on the Desert, also known as Wallace E. Pratt Residence, was designed in 1941 by the New York City architecture firm of Milliken & Bevin and constructed between 1941 and 1943. The building and surrounding landscape are significant as an early modernist house placed in the high desert landscape. Ship on the Desert is also important for its association with Wallace E. Pratt, a petroleum geologist who pioneered in the techniques of scientific oil exploration and who subsequently became vice president of the Humble Oil & Refining Company and later of the Standard Oil Company. The building is almost nearly unchanged since the residence of Wallace, though it has been used by the Park Service as a dormitory for visiting students and researchers. There has been little conservation done on the property and the wear from constant use is present. The National Park Service is now working to presevere the site.
ADDRESS 915 N Florence St, El Paso DESIGNATION NRHP-Contributing CONDITION Fair OWNER St. Clement Episcopal Church BUILDING TYPE Place of Worship CONSTRUCTION DATE 1910 YEAR LISTED 2005 EL PASO COUNTY
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Rio Grande Avenue Historic District, the property represents the last Mission Revival style building in El Paso designed by architect Henry ItsTrost.iconic tower is a mainstay in this neighborhood, which has already lost many of its residential properties for the parking lot sprawl required by “big box” churches. The building was constructed in 1910-1911 as a Presbyterian Church and later served as the sanctuary of the St. George Anthiochian Orthodox Church. The building is leased and used by one of the largest food pantry distribution sites in the area Currently, plans are underway to restore the building, however, no dates for that restoration have been set.
WESTMINISTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
WINFIELD HANGAR
ADDRESS Fort Stockton DESIGNATION None CONDITION Poor OWNER Pecos County BUILDING TYPE Transportaion/Adobe CONSTRUCTION DATE 1936 YEAR LISTED 2006 PECOS COUNTY
The adobe Winfield Hangar was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration and Pecos County. Winfield Airport was used as an auxiliary field to Gibbs Field during World War II, a primary training base located in Pecos County. State Senator H. L. Winfield, for which the hangar is named, was a champion for the creation of Big Bend National Park. This airport was elite in its time, being the first in the area. It transported people and cargo from Texas to all parts of the country and was on the old Chihuahua Road. The now -vacant adobe Winfield Hangar is threatened due to neglect and damage from the elements.
SANDERSON RAILROAD DEPOT
The Sanderson Depot, constructed in 1883, preceded the town that grew around it. In fact, the town itself was named after the president of the intercontinental railroad construction company. It was a terminal for Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) operations for a century, but SPRR moved the crew-change terminal in 1995, devastating the local economy. The depot was abandoned and vandalized. The Sanderson Depot Association led a valiant effort to save it, but they were faced with many obstacles, including short deadlines from the railroad and a requirement from Union Pacific that the building be moved. With a very bad economy, they were able to raise money for restoration, but not for moving it. In addition, they received continued local opposition from retired railroaders and other groups.The association also felt that county support was unavailable to them since the county failed to support an attempt to save the depot in the early 2000s. This situation prevented the association from applying for grants that required county involvement.Though they did have a large contingent of true supporters, a lack of funding options and absence of support from elected officials led to the demolition of the oldest structure in Sanderson in October of 2012. Amtrak continues to have a stop in Sanderson, but there is no shelter, only a platform.
ADDRESS Sanderson DESIGNATION None CONDITION Demolished OWNER Southern Pacific Railroad BUILDING TYPE Depot CONSTRUCTION DATE 1883 YEAR LISTED 2005 TERRELL COUNTY
STATEWIDETHEMATIC LISTINGS Preservation ‘Texas has included thematic listings on its Most Endangered Places list to encourage Texans to identify potentially threatened structures in their own community that relate to the theme. Themes relevant to West Texas include to following types of buildings and neighborhoods: • African-American Civil Rights Era sites • Dams • Depots • Gas Stations • Historic Cemeteries • Jails • Municipal buildings (town halls, fire stations, and similar buildings) • Rural schoolhouses • Small-town banks • Small-town theatres and opera houses • Working-class neighborhoods
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