April 1988 GHPA Newsletter

FOR PRESERvATION NEWSLETTER OF THE GREATER HOUSTON PRESERVATION ALLIANCE April 1988 Mrs. Beverly Rudy, Board Member Greater Houston Preservation Alliance invites you to attend a Victorian Ice Cream Party May 15, 1988 6:00 - 8:00 pm at 1804 35th Street at 0 1/2 Galveston, Texas R.S.V.P before May 10 at 713/236-5000 May 15 is the final day of the Galveston Historical Foundation Annual Historic Homes Tour. Tours will be conducted at eight historic buildings from Noon until 6:00 p.m. Mrs. Rudy invites GHPA members and guests to join her at her Galveston residence for ice cream and croquet on the site once owned by Gale Borden.

The Galveston Historical Foundation will also sponsor a lecture on May 15 by Roy Eugene Graham, A.I.A •. Mr. Graham, an internationally respected restoration architect, will speak on Galveston's place in the preservation movement. For more information about the tour and lecture, call 409/765-7834.

PRESERVATION WORKSHOP Rediscover and Learn: Successful Preservation in Your Community is the title of a workshop to be held at Heights Christian Church on May 7. The one day workshop is designed to provide professional help to Texas communities and neighborhoods which are undertaking preservation projects. The workshop is being presented by the Texas Historical Commission, The Texas-New Mexico Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Preservation Texas.

The workshop will provide Houstonians who are interested in historic preservation the opportunity to interact with some of the state's most qualified preservation professionals. Presentors are Rick Meyer, Chairman of Austin's Landmark Commission and President of Preservation Texas and the Preservation Texas Alliance; Elizabeth Barker Willis, Director of the National Trust's Texas-New Mexico Field Office; and, Stan Graves, Anice Read, and Jim Steely of the Texas Historical Commission.

Mark your calendar to attend this one day work session.

There is a $10.00 registration fee which includes the cost of lunch. Registration should be mailed to the Houston Heights Association, P.O. Box 70735 , Houston, Texas 77270. For more information call Margie Elliott, at 682-3556.

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MAP 'T SQUARE TASK FORCE IS AT

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The successful Reclaiming Houston Downtown: New Directions for the Main Street - Market Square District symposium has generated enthusiam for the revitalization of the north end of downtown Houston ( see For Preservation, March 1988). The steering committee which hosted the symposium has continued the momentum by organizing the Market Square Task Force. This group, which includes representatives from organizations which sponsored the symposium, has isolated three issues for action. The issues are economics, the physical environment, and marketing and research. The task force will establish a committee structure to address the areas of concern and will be seeking the assistance of volunteers to help in basic data gathering and research activities.

The Market Square Task Force has recently published a summary of proceedings of the symposium. The summary states the following list of recommendations based upon the outcome of the sessions. * The historic structures must be integrated into the downtown and not become a separate "theme park".

* Public/private partnerships are essential to successful revitalization

* A Master Plan should be prepared for the historic district

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Revitalization should include preservation as well as new development

* Desired uses of the district include entertainment, retail, arts, recreation, and housing

* Tax incentives and land banking programs are needed * Market analyses and campaigns for the district should be developed by institutions and businesses in the district

* Actions by public agencies in the district should be coordinated The GHPA is assisting the Market Square Task Force by seeking funds to prepare a preliminary Master plan for the district. Barrie Scardino is the GHPA representative to the task force. Minnette Boesel, Executive Director of the Downtown Houston Association, is the Chairman of the task force. For information or for a copy of the summary, contact Ms. Boesel, at 658-8938. There is a small fee to cover mailing of the summary.

PRESERVATION DAY '88 Friday, May 20, 1988 is Preservation Day in Texas. The Preservation Texas Alliance will celebrate the day in Austin with a luncheon and annual meeting. Guest speaker will be Mr. Truett Latimer, President, Houston Museum of Natural Science. The day's events will also include a tour of the restored Lieutenant Governor's Reception Room and office areas and the Senate Chamber in the Capitol.

Cost of the luncheon is $17.50. If you would like to attend, call Preservation Texas Alliance Board member Mike Davis, at 5000100.

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qHPA FOURTH WARD STUDY

CON~-NUES

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The GHPA is committed to the preservation of historic buildings and districts in Houston. The GHPA's Fourth Ward Committee continues its task of evaluating preservation strategies for the historic district and the surrounding neighborhood. Committee members have been compiling information about the area's history, current and historical land uses, structural condition of housing, and methods to encourage restoration of the historic architecture. The work produced by the committee will be used as the basis for future GHPA preservation policies and actions directed to the area. GHPA board member Nia Becnel chairs the committee. Committee members are Bill Stern, Barrie Scardino, Carol Lilly, and Mike Davis. The committee benefits from the assistance provided by Paulette Wagner of the Houston Department of Planning and Development and Jeff Baloutine of" the Houston Committee for Private Sector Initiatives.

WARREN'S INN DEMOLITION March 20, 1988 will long be remembered as the last stand for historic structures on the west face of Market Square. On that date, the Bethje Lang Building (316 Milam Street) was demolished by owner Guardian Savings.

The GHPA had worked with other community volunteers to protest the proposed demolition of the building and had been encouraged by the owner's listing of the building for sale or lease. Unfortunately, the building was demolished, without warning, late Sunday evening.

The demolition of this important building is especially disappointing coming so soon after the Market Square Symposium.

This destruction of the city's heritage points to the need for protection of significant historic structures in the Main Street - Market Square Historic District.

NATIONAL PRESERVATION WEEK National Historic Preservation week is May 8 through 14.

The theme of this year's celebration is The People's Choice. As Beverly Pennington, GHPA's Endangered Buildings Committee Chairman has stated, it is the people's choice to speak out for the preservation of Houston's historic buildings. This is especially true of historic buildings which are owned or effected by city, county, state or federal agencies. We must make it clear that preservation of our historic buildings is a prerogative of the people who live in and care for Houston.

Locally, the GHPA will observe Preservation Week by highlighting seven of Houston's historical resources. They are the Pillot Building, the Burns Building, the Rice Hotel, the Texaco Building, the Duff House, the Houston Turn Verein, and the Fourth Ward Historic District. Information about these buildings will be made available to the press in hopes of educating Houstonians about the number and variety of historic structures, sites and districts in our city. Check your newspaper during Preservation Week!

SIXTH WAB- COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE NEE; - DONATIONS

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The Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association is having a garage sale May 14 - 15, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. GHPA members are asked to support this project by donating items to include in the sale. Bric-a-brac, furniture, antiques, etc. are welcomed and desired.

Donations of items for the garage sale can be dropped-off at 2215 Kane Street, at Sawyer Street. For more information, call Donald Skipworth, at 650-3300.

NATIONAL TRUST UPDATE The Texas-New Mexico Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Fort Worth has been quite busy lately. The Trust is gathering information on heritage tourism as a means of promoting and preserving historic structures. Other projects are surveying extant Carnegie Library buildings in the region and pursuing rural preservation projects.

On June 7, the Texas House Cultural and Historic Resources Committee will convene in Fort Worth to hold a hearing on the impact of historic preservation on business development. The Texas-New Mexico Field Office, the Texas Historical Commission, and several other organizations will present information at the hearing. The public is invited to attend.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation offers a wide range of technical and financial assistance for preservation efforts. Please feel free to contact the Field Office in Fort Worth at 817/332-4398.

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance 712 Main Street Houston, Texas 77002

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FOR PRESERVATION is published as a membetship service of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. Editor -Mike Davis