February 1993 GHPA Newsletter

For Preservation News(etter of the Greater Mouston J'reservation A((iance

VOLUME

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NUMBER

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Outdoor art in peril

By Philip Parisi They are called orphans of the art world-the monuments oflocal, state, and national heroes that overlook our town squares, parks, battlefields, and the grounds of our municipal buildings. Free and accessible to everyone, outdoor sculpture provides an important record of America's heritage and culture.

Although the bronze or stone presence of outdoor sculpture is part of our everyday surroundings, often we are too busy to notice these works of art. When we do, we see they are slowly deteriorating.

Through the years, neglect and the harmful effects of corrosive bird guano, industrial and auto exhaust emissions, the weather, and the work of graffiti writers have taken their toll. Many monuments are in danger of being lost; they have become part of our heritage at risk.

For example, the Texas Heroes Monument, which was erected at the intersection of Broadway and 25th Street in Galveston at the tum of the century, had deteriorated so badly that it posed a safety hazard.

Dedicated in 1900 to commemorate the heroes of the 1836 Texas Revolution, the 22-foot-tall bronze statue of the goddess Victory stands on a massive granite base. Created in Italy by Louis Amateis, the sculpture over the years became completely separated from its base and remained standing only by the force of gravity . Close inspection also revealed pitting and cracking.

Concerned citizens discovered the monument's problems in time to rescue it. At the time these discoveries were made, a hurricane was threatening to strike the Gulf Coast; cables were installed on the statue to temporarily secure it. The monument survived the storm. Afterward, the sculpture was painstakingly removed and stored until preserva-

tionists could raise the funds to have it repaired. In 1991, the restored monument was rededicated.

By conservative estimates, Texas has more than 1,200 outdoor sculptures. No one knows for certain the exact number or the condition of these monuments. In response to the problem of locating and monitoring the condition of our outdoor sculpture, the Texas Historical Commission and several Texas cities are participating in a three-year national survey effort. The program is named Save Outdoor Sculpture!

(SOS!). SOS! sponsors are the National Museum of American Art (Smithsonian Institution) and the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. In addition to the THC, the city governments of Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth are participating in SOS! Beginning this spring, volunteers will be combing communities across the state to locate and diagnose the condition of our outdoor statues and monuments. The volunteers will describe them, and research the histories of the monuments. The goal of the program is to identify and encourage protection of neglected outdoor artworks, and to bring together civic groups, local businesses, and private citizens in partnerships, such as Dallas' Adopta-Monument program.

"The goal of SOS! is to call attention to these public artworks and provide communities with essential information that will help them develop effective strategies to ensure their preservation and care," said Gerron Hite, THe architect.

Sculpture may suffer neglect for years simply because no one has a clear idea of who is responsible for

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Trudy Herolz and Bob Herolz purchased Isabella Court in 1991. Their Good Brick was presented in honor of their restoring the building, an outstanding example of Spanish-Mediterranean architecture.

Good Brick Awards Approximately 250 people attended the January 21 presentation of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance's 15th annual Good Brick Awards, held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and co-sponsored by MFAH and Houston Business Journal. This year's awards honored eight individuals and organizations

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Arche%gy Lessons Thelma Scott Bryant

While laws require archeological investigation of public land, only an understanding of the value of archeology will instill a preservation ethic in owners who control 90% of the land in Texas. As Bob Mallouf, state archeologist, explains: "Preservation isn't a legal issue so much as it's a moral obligation. Now it's a matter of making people aware of what they ' re doing when they collect artifacts or destroy sites. We're working with a legacy in pieces.

They're making it impossible to retell the full story of the past."

(Bob Parvin, "In Search of the First Texans", Texas Parks and Wildlife, October 1983) A new exhibit at the Children's Museum of Houston entitled "Dig It" is designed to show children

and their parents how much can be learned through archeology.

Archeological methods are explained so that visitors will understand the complex nature of the work and leave investigations to the professionals. Opportunities to participate in supervised field work are identified. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the history of Houston through archeology.

The focus of the exhibit is a replicated dig site, incorporating excavation units and a laboratory processing area. Children and adults are challenged to analyze simulated artifacts to determine how people in this region lived during the historic period of "contact" between the Native Americans and the Europeans.

for their outstanding historic preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse projects in the Houston area.

The 1993 Good Brick Awards were underwritten by Bank United of Texas FSB, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, and contributor John T. Hannah.

In writing her book Pioneer Families a/Houston (early 1900s).

Mrs. Bryant captured a largelyundocumented part of Houston 's earliest days and the social history of our city 's African-American community. By documenting details from her own life as a descendant of some of Houston's prominent African-American pioneers, the 85year-old Mrs. Bryant has preserved the history of families, schools, churches, businesses and community activities, as well as architectural details from structures long lost to the wrecking ball.

Mrs. Bryant's narrative begins in Third Ward at her family home at 3003 Live Oak. In 1922 she graduated from Houston's only AfricanAmerican school, Colored High School in Fourth Ward, and knew all the children attending her high school and where they lived. Her daily streetcar ride from Third to Fourth Ward pinpoints the locations of all the main streets and public buildings.

Her story speaks proudly of the African-American-owned businesses and buildings throughout the Wards including the Odd Fellows Temple, the Pilgrim Temple, Lincoln Theater, Climax Drug Store, and American Mutual Benefit Insurance Co. The book is a valuable resource to

historians and preservationists.

The Park People, Inc. received an award for reviving a two-decade-old project to preserve Houston's urban forest through the establishment of the Harris County Tree Registry. By ensuring proper documentation and preservation of the largest, and, hence, oldest living specimens of each local tree species, The Park People have stimulated not only healthy competition among tree owners for this "status" designation, but also renewed interest in the preservation and continued growth of significant tree specimens. The Registry was created in response to the tremendous loss of many 300and 400-year-old trees during the building boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Volunteers searched for the nominees throughout the area.

Competition among property owners for champion trees grew so robust that tree circumferences were often measured twice. Species champions retain their designation until a larger tree specimen is located. Owners of "contenders" have been seeking advice from The Park People on how to feed and fertilize their trees in order to stimulate growth and a possible Registry listing.

The recent restoration of Annunciation Catholic Church at 1816 Texas A venue won a Good Brick for protecting one of the oldest and most arch itecturall y-significant church buildings in Houston. Annunciation was built in 1869 using brick salvaged from the demolished 1851 Harris County Courthouse. The design was based on plans brought from France by the Annunciation's first pastor, Father Joseph Querat. It was remodeled in 1884 by Texas's preeminent 19th century architect, Nicholas J. Clayton of Galveston, who buttressed the old walls and added the vestibule and distinctive steeple, bringing the overall height to 196 feet when measured to the top of its gold-leafed cross. Years of neglect and water damage were erased by the 1991-92 restoration under the supervision of the Salvaggio Construction Company, with St. Marks Fine Arts doing the interior conservation work. Several thousand feet of exterior and interior cracks were filled and sealed to halt further deterioration.

Rotted wood and rusted steel frames holding the magnificent stained glass windows were corrected. Fresh paint enhanced the interior expansiveness and elegant Corinthian columns. An 1894 fresco of the Transfiguration was carefully cleaned and restored, along with the stations of the cross. New chande-

liers were duplicated from the original designs to improve the overall lighting and viewing of this beautifully-restored church.

Swig Weiler and Dinner Development Company and First Interstate Bank of Texas, N.A, won a Good Brick for the Esperson Buildings preservation project. Co-recipient was project architect Gensler and Associates/Architects. The 32-story neo-Renaissance Niels Esperson Building at 806 Travis was designed

by John Eberson as Houston's first skyscraper when it was built in 1927. He made his fortune with his discovery of the Humble oil field north of Houston. Esperson wanted his building to be a monument to the oil industry, featuring only the finest materials and the most up-to-date amenities. His widow Mellie completed the project after his death in 1922. She added the 19-story Art Moderne annex bearing her name and designed by Drew Eberson, son of John Eberson. Original terrazzo floors, marble walls, and ornamented plaster ceilings were revealed after the vestiges of inappropriate remodeling had been stripped away. Intensive research led to the discovery of not only the original building drawings, but also the bronze chandeliers that once had graced the lobby. The limestone and brick facade were cleaned and all HV AC systems were upgraded. Restoration of the street level retail space to its original appearance continues.

Trudy Herolz and Bob Herolz were honored with a Good Brick for their rescue of Isabella Court in the 3900 block of Main Street. This outstanding example of SpanishMediterranean style, built in 1928, was purchased and saved by the Herolzes in 1991. The exterior of the property was suffering from years of deferred maintenance, especially in the courtyard. In the 1990 AlA Houston Architectural Guide.

Stephen Fox described the finishes of the courtyard as "preserved in a glorious state of seediness." The careful restoration of Isabella Court has returned the property to its impressive interior and exterior character by means of roof and parapet repairs, awning replacement, courtyard fresco restoration, metalwork cleaning and repair, stucco, plaster and floor preservation, provisions for new mechanical and electrical services, and centralized air-conditioning and heating. The project has not only renewed interest in downtown living, but has also created historically beautiful and economically viable street-level retail space. The project clearly demon continued on next page

FOR PRESERVATION

Volunteers maintain old German cemetery

By Bernice Mistrot Through the efforts of two citizens' groups, the abandoned German Society Cemetery (called Washington Cemetery since 1918) has been transformed from an overgrown jungle into a quiet place of beauty, just minutes from downtown. It was founded in 1887, and now occupies 21 acres adjacent to Glenwood Cemetery on Washington Ave. While not the oldest cemetery in the city. nor the best-known, Washington Cemetery has its share of interesting people, including Rev. Casper Braun, first pastor of the first Lutheran church in Houston; Henry Guy, professional photographer on Main Street in 1889; Hugh Hamilton, owner of Magnolia Brewery and the first ice plant in Houston; Fannie Homer, first person in Houston to be carried in a motorized hearse (1913); W. H. Koenig, member of Houston's first volunteer fire department; Emma Seelye, who fought in the Civil War disguised as a man, and Charles and Frank Stelzig, of Stelzig Saddlery Co. Of approximately 7,000 burials in Washington Cemetery, about 5,000 are in family plots; the rest are in single-grave spaces, most unmarked in a part of the cemetery known as Stranger's Rest. Volunteers of the Washington Cemetery Historic Trust, a 501(c)(3) organization, are now working to locate and mark these graves.

The standard of maintenance at Washington Cemetery dropped greatly after the death of the cemetery's caretaker in 1949. By the early 1970s, weeds and brush were almost head high. The Concerned Citizens for Washington Cemetery Care, Inc., a non-profit group of volunteers, cleaned up the cemetery in 1978 and has kept it clean ever "ince. Small donations from mostly older people with an interest in

preserving this historic and sacred place have paid for regular mowing and trimming.

The gravel roads in the cemetery have had only patchwork repairs since the I 920s. The two groups are planning to restore and upgrade them, hoping to alleviate what has been a chronic maintenance headache. This is an ambitious project, estimated at several times the $20,000 annual upkeep cost for the entire cemetery, but once done, it will greatly enhance this historic site and should not have to be done again for many years. The project has recently been given a big boost by a $ 10,000 grant from the Rockwell Fund and by gifts from the Harry and Isabel Cameron Foundation and the Marian and Speros Martel Foundation.

Both volunteer groups may be contacted at 12800 Briar Forest, Suite 83, Houston, Texas 770772206, (713) 591-6262 or (713) 5311956.

Bernice Mistrot is SecretaryTreasurer of the Washington Cemetery Historic Trust.

Trust wants tax credit restored Restoring the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit tops the 1993 legislative agenda of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. First enacted in 1978, this very successful urban revitalization tool channeled more than $400 billion in private investment into thousands of preservation projects throughout the U.S. Unfortunately, however, revisions in the Tax Reform Act of 1986 have cut deeply into the effectiveness of the program, and investment in rehabilitation projects has declined by 75 percent. Preservationists predict that restoring the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit would have an immediate impact on the economy, create large numbers of jobs, help revive the real estate industry, and address many urgent problems of the urban agenda.

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Good Brick Awards,

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The preservation of Heights Theater has allowed this building to be removed from the Texas Historical Commission's biennial " Endangered Historical Properties in Texas" list.

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strates the economic good sense in historic preservation.

Sharon and Gus Kopriva's Good Brick was presented for the restoration of the Heights Theater at 341 West 19th Street and is shared with co-recipients architect Robert Morris and the J.V . Dougherty Construction Company . The Heights Theater is the oldest suburban movie theater in Houston. Its original SpanishMediterranean theme was transformed to the popular Moderne style during renovations in 1941. In 1969, a mysterious fire destroyed all but the outer walls of the theater.

(At the time, the controversial art film "[ Am Curious Yellow" was being screened.) In 1982, the remains of the theater were being eyed for demolition to make way for a parking lot. Architect Robert Morris and Jim Holland formed the Heights Theater Partnership in order to buy and save the building. They restored the facade and then sold the theater to the Koprivas in 1989. Morris continued his restoration work through the Koprivas, using old photos and documentation to bring back the facade's distinctive Moderne look. A new roof, airconditioning and heating and electrical systems were installed, as were new front doors. Marquee lighting and neon were reconditioned.

A unique 1993 Good Brick winner is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its Phase I restoration of the Battleship Texas. Commissioned in 1914, the U.S.S. Texas was one of the two most powerful battleships in the world at that time and is the only U.S. Navy warship to have survived service in both World Wars. When it was transferred to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1983, the Texas was in an advanced state of deterioration.

Surveys indicated that restoration to her 1945 configuration was the best choice in view of her existing condition. The local business community contributed generously to help underwrite the massive project. The Battleship Texas now has also been removed from the Texas Historical Commission's inventory of the most "Endangered Historical Properties in Texas."

The final 1993 Good Brick was presented to the Rice Design Alliance for its Heart of the Park Competition, a national design competition to propose improvements at the center of Houston's historic Hermann Park based on the original407-acre layout designed by George E. Kessler. The design dilemma was to create expanded use of the park while preserving its integrity as one of Houston's most

Barna book looks back in sorrow at building boom years

By Gerald Moorhead Preservationists must operate in the same economic world as the rest of the real estate industry, so it's essential for us to understand how things work. With a clear insight and disturbing analysis, Joel Barna, in The See-Through Years: Creation and Destruction in Texas Architecture and Real Estate, /98/ -/992. provides an understanding of the last decade.

As editor of Texas Architect and a

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forces operating in the built environment. Using a discussion of individual buildings and a variety of building types as the background, he describes a morally-corrupt condition of contemporary civilization. All the examples are in Texas, but the institutions and attitudes that created the real estate boom-andbust of the 1980s are prevalent throughout the country. Texas just started sooner. overbuilt more, and fell deeper.

Barna finds that "the ritual of real estate. which dominated the spiritual life of the state for a decade," has not changed despite the recent financial calamities, and that no lessons were learned. All the participants in the game-bankers, brokers, developers. architects, and builders-are still in

misguided collusion . The hard truth is that architecture, new or old, has become a puppet whose strings are pulled by the money-makers. A building has become nothing more than a commodity whose purpose is to enhance the value of the land it occupies.

Regarding this economic incentive, Barna adds, "Money is most easily made in the conversion of real estate from low-cost to high-cost uses, ... And such conversions are most easily made not in already-built-up cities but at their diffusely utilized peripheries." This simple fact, and the prevalent attitude that the only value is economic value, makes it especially difficult, if not impossible, to justify the preservation of older buildings which have lost their economic competitiveness. Other values, such as architectural distinction, historic and cultural connectedness. or simple usefulness, carry no weight in resisting the pressure to make money.

Barna's book provides a WOrldly education, necessary although frequently depressing. But it can't be avoided.

THE SEE-THROUGH YEARS: Creation and Destruction in Texas Architecture and Real Estate. /981-/992.

by Joel Warren Barna, Rice University Press (Houston, 1992). $27.50 HB , 247 pgs .. 148 illus.

historically significant and beautiful urban places. The Heart of the Park Competition was organized in cooperation with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Hermann Park. It demonstrates the creativity and usefulness of focusing the energies and expertise of the architecture and design community on the improvement of the quality of life in Houston, by giving the city a blueprint for the preservation and improvement of Hermann Park.

GHPA salutes Houston Business Journal and the Museum of Fine Arts for assistance as co-sponsors of the 1993 Good Brick Awards and extends appreciation to our awards underwriters Bank United of Texas, Southwestern Bell, and John Hannah. Thanks also are extended to lohn's Flowers and Antiques, Pasternak's Emporium, Ruth Meric Catering, Gerald Moorhead, and the TEXAS LIMITED for helping to make the event a success. Program director Barrie Scardino, special events coordinator Kathy Wild, and awards committee coordinator Anna Mod deserve a fine round of applause for a job well done. Thanks also to our volunteers Don Cole, Linda Collins.

David Hodgson, Dana Sawyer, and Elaine Spencer.

SO S!

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it. One important aspect of the survey will be to determine jurisdiction over each work. Information from the survey will be fed into a computer at the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., to create a permanent, comprehensive data base of the nation's out door sculpture. The information will be available to scholars, conservators, and all those interested in sculpture.

The THC needs volunteers.

Individuals who are interested in learning more about the survey should contact SOS! state coordinator Hillary Summers, THC, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276, or call 5 12/463-6094.

For information on Houston's SOS! program, contact Sharla Marshall at 713/467-6765.

Save Outdoor Sculpture! is funded by major contributions from The Getty Grant Program, The Henry Luce Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Additional assistance has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart, the Contributing Membership of the Smithsonian National Associates Program and members of its Board, as well as many concerned individuals. The project is also supported through federal appropriations matched by private contributions.

Theforegoing information ahout Sal'e Our Sculpture' originally appeared in The Medallion. the newsletter of the Texas Historical Commission.

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The Village: can it remain uniquely Houston? 짜

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By Jerry Alexander, AlA Shortly after arriving in Houston a year ago to practice my architectural specialty, retail development, Gensler and Associates gave me an intriguing assignment. I was to begin my indoctrination to the city and its shopping districts and report back.

I began surveying formats, from malls to strip centers, from power centers to outlet malls: Highland Village, River Oaks, the Galleria, Fiesta Power Center and Lone Star Factory Stores-and scores of merchants in between. I reported back to Gensler on each project: its amenities, drawbacks, condition, image, visibility, parking, freeway access, circulation, identity, and other aspects.

In accepting this assignment, I in tum had a request to make of my new employer: Allow me to study in greater detail what I believed was the most singular shopping district in Houston-Rice University Village, or more simply, the Village. Here was not just a retail development, but an eclectic mix of shops, many of which had not changed for decades. No pseudocharming facades were imposed, no rubbed-on history. One can walk through the Village and point out different eras in the beautiful, elegant architectural styles, with wonderful storefronts, massing, and bay spacing. The Village was not duplicated in any other city; it was distinctively Houston's.

Our study indicated that the Village was clearly destined for growth. While that could signal good things for the area, it also seemed clear that growth could bring problems, including threats to the very qualities that made the Village exceptional. Construction ofthe now-completed Village Arcade was then under way and would soon attract the district's first major national retail chain. In the densest part of the Village, the lack of parking was clearly frustrating to merchants, shoppers and tenants. Traffic was congested. As in most parts of Houston, pedestrians were given second-class status. Juxtaposed against robust economic activity in some stores, many retail spaces sat vacant.

The Village is neither owned nor managed by a single party. As a result, the most compelling feature, its multi-faceted character, is governed by the decisions of many landowners. This diversity is a blessing, but, it also makes

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The 1941 Village Theater. Architects: MacKie & Kamrath. The theater won an award from theater owners industry for its design.

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consensus problem-solving hard to achieve. Nothing in the 40-year history of the Village is comparable to the growth that lies ahead, yet there is no plan in place to protect the common good of the constituents of the area.

Who are these constituents? They include Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, community and civic groups, the city of Houston, landowners, tenants, and customers.

With the backing of Dean Strombom, a vice president at Gensler, the firm funded a research grant to the Village Association to <:()~~ct information such as: Who does the Village serve, what are the goals of the various groups whose interests are at stake there? What effect will growth have on them?

The results of the study could lead to the development of a plan of action by the Villagers themselves to accommodate growth while helping preserve the unique characterofthe Village.

For the most part, Houston retail development has been incompatible with historic preservation. The quintessential shopping avenue in Houston is not Main Street, nor the streets in the Village, but Westheimer. Beginning west of the Galleria, extending beyond the city limits, are miles of strip shopping centers lined up end-to-end. Architectural history books depict this strip development as the ultimate example of suburban sprawl. The retail aesthetic of Westheimer celebrates the age of the automobile and exudes the countryclub, suburban atmosphere that took root in America during the 1950s.

But as the Houston economy has tightened, less money has been available for new strip development and, consequently, developers have recently turned the: .. attention to renovating and retrofitting older developments. They begin by luoking at areas with greatest potential for economic return. Few places hold the potential for development as well as the Village.

When viewing .the Village's potential from that perspective, what arguments can be presented against preservation? First, it costs more to fix what's wrong than to start over, especially when a project has hidden problems such as asbestos, bad plumbing, or old wiring.

But deciding whether to demolish or preserve should not be based solely on short-term economics. What the structure or area means to the community deserves consideration and, in the long run, may prove to be the best economic decision. The West End in Dallas provides a good example: Developers might have tom this section down and built new structures.

Instead, they took advantage of what existed, found the right use for the right building and made it work . The West End is now hugely profitable.

The Village holds similar opportunities. But developers and landowners in Houston often tend to view a treasured landmark such as the Village Theater, for example, like the card game Old Maid. Whoever ends up with her loses.

This is not true, of course, as we've seen with the conversion of the Alabama Theater to the Bookstop. The proprietors there have achieved great recognition and business success for their store.

The medicine-preserving rather than demolishing-can be more than therapeutic. Often, the retailer who takes advantage of the existing character and infrastructure of the building receives a greater return on his investment than he might have otherwise, and enjoys recognition from the community.

People may not know the name of the person who "saved the Alabama Theater," but that person is nevertheless given hero-status. And no one had to fabricate character. It was already there.

In Houston, as in other cities, we have learned to anticipate change. Old gives way to new, and one architectural style displaces another.

But in Houston , unlike most other cities, architectural change most often takes the form of demolition and rebuilding. Older buildings have simply been replaced with newer, cheaper, and often characterless structures that can be sold quickly for a profit. Thus, little architecture remains to give us a glimpse of even as brief a span as 70 years into the past.

In Houston in general. and in the Village in particular, preservation may yet be achieved, but probably not because of the sensibilities of preservationists.

The guiding spirit here is largely economic.

That the Village will grow and evolve is inevitable . Certainly old buildings will be tom down, and some should be. New buildings will go up, increasing the density and making the area more attractive as it grows over time. But there will also be a push, I believe, to keep some of the more important structures, including the Village Theater. You can ' t rebuild an icon: it's not just the shape of the symbol , it's the history that goes with it.

Preservation Projects WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The following are new members ofGHPA as of 30 January 1993 CORPORATE

Mr. Leroy Hermes PATRON

Mr. and Mrs. Bert Harrop Mr. and Mrs. David M. Henington Ms. Janet Spencer FAMILY

Ms. Ginger Barber Mr. and Mrs. Larry Brownback Mr. and Mrs. Steven Frietsch Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Jordan Mr. and Mrs. William H. Merriman INDIVIDUALS

The Honorable Mike Andrews Mr. Clarence Burton Bagby Ms. Andrea Baker Ms. Robin Blut Ms. Mary DiFiore Crowe The Honorable Diana Davila Mr. L. Tuffly Ellis The Honorable Rodney Ellis The Honorable Yolanda Navarro Flores Ms. Elizabeth Ghrist The Honorable Cynthia Gorczynski Ms. Gabriella Gutierrez Mr. John R. Hawkins Mr. Art Javaid Mr. John T. Jones, Jr. Ms. Jan Knabe Ms. Deborah Morris Mrs. Helen Niborg Mr. Ed Noel Ms. Anne Olson Ms. Patricia Smith Prather Ms. Kathryn E. Schadewald Ms. Anita O'Shaughnessy Ms. Anna Wingfield

by Anna Mod In March of 1992, Houston Endowment offered a $50.000 challenge grant to the Houston Fire Museum if its supporters could match the money by December of 1993. The money has been raised and will be used for the preservation of the old NO.7 Fire Station. which has housed the Museum for the past 10 years . The Fire Museum has been listed on the National Register of Historic Properties since 1986.

David Beale reports that the Texas Historical Commission's State Board of Review will consider the addition of the Westmoreland Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places at its next meeting. Peter Maxson, the architectural historian who wrote and researched the application, will attend.

Westmoreland's resident historian Ron Crockett and Sharie Beale, currently serving as historian for the Civic Association, will also be there. Members of the THC Board of Review took a walking tour of the neighborhood on January 5th.

Simon Wiltz reports that the Riverside Hospital Nurses Building project came in over budget and the hospital is now renegotiating for additional Community Development funds with of the City of Houston.

Kelly Thompson reports from the Heights of two projects in progress, both of which involve properties on the National Register of Historic Properties. The historic MilroyMuller House is undergoing complete renovation, including the enclosure of the back porch for a new kitchen, restoration of interior woodwork replicating original materials and details of the house; and modemization of the bathrooms. The Lamar-Bickley house is undergoing a complete restoration: replacement of windows for energy efficiency and insulation of floor, walls and attic; and modernization of kitchen and bathrooms. Lauren Moran, landscape architect, is consulting on the taming of an old abandoned garden with some historic vegetation.

Do you know someone who owns a historic home and who wants to modernize it without detracting from its historic significance? A

guidebook for such projects, " Houston Heights Architectural Guidelines", has been compiled by members of the Historical Committee of the Houston Heights Association. Although the book's specific examples apply to the Houston Heights Multiple Resource Area's historic structures. contractors, property owners, architects and designers will find the guide useful as well as interesting. Many phases of remodeling are described, with examples of "heritagefriendly" processes versus the methods that tend to destroy the historic aspects of a structure, and ~ might render it ineligible for inclusion on the National Register.

The handbook, which costs $8, can be purchased at Carter & Cooley Deli (19th at Ashland), Yale Pharmacy (21st Street at Yale), or the Houston Heights Library (Heights Blvd. at 13th Street).

To order by mail, send check for $12.50 ($8 for the book plus $4.50 postage and packaging) payable to Houston Heights Assn. Mail to Joann Boote, 1238 Harvard, Houston, TX 77008.

Renovation of Milam House, 4100 Milam, a 1923 Birdsall P. Briscoe-designed house, is due to be completed by March 15th. Beginning on April 2nd, Milam House will be open to the public two weeks for tours. Milam House is a residential care facility for persons with AIDS. Tickets for the tour will be available through the Milam House office. On April 19, the first residents will move in.

The 1911 Sunset Hospital, built by a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railway and now known as the Thomas Street Clinic, Harris County Hospital District's HIV and AIDS clinic, is undergoing renovation by Lo/Kester and Bouchard Architects. The project, funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston's

Department of Housing and Community Development, requires a Section 106 review by the Texas Historical Commission. THC architects are providing advice on design issues and selection of materials in order to minimize changes to the historic character of the building.

Original windows will be retained and rehabilitated; original interior wood molding will be repaired and restored; and interior plaster periphery walls will be repaired. A spring 1994 completion date is projected.

David Warren reports that construction at Bayou Bend is now in the punch list phase.

Bayou Bend should re-open to the public in Septem ber.

John Freeman, with the City of Houston Architectural Services, reports that his team is evaluating bids for the renovation of the old Clayton House, now Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research. The City plans to retain as many features as possible while updating the building for library use.

Preservation Day Preservationists throughout Texas will meet in Austin on February 17 to take part in Preservation Day, sponsored by Preservation Texas Alliance. Preservation Day provides an opportunity every two years, when the state legislature is in session, to discuss important preservation issues with state legislators and to support programs of the Texas Historical Commission.

The 1993 legislative agenda of Preservation Texas Alliance addresses funding for the Texas Historical Commission, bills to protect all human burials and to allow registration of cemeteries, legislation to allow home rule cities to pass open container ordinances. amendments to existing legislation that would relieve non-profit organizations from the burden of paying back taxes on properties placed in receivership, and a source of funds for the Texas Preservation Trust Fund.

Registration fees for Preservation Day are $15 for PTA members and $20 for nonmembers. For more information, call Margie Elliott, 236-5000 . .

MEMBERSHIP ApPLICATION ADVISORY BOARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Vicki List,President Barry Moore, President Elect Kathleen Wild,] st Vice President David F. Beale, 2nd Vice President Morgan Hill, Treasurer Graham Luhn, Past President

Nancy C. Brainerd, Downtown Houston Association Lennie Brown, AlA Historical Resources Committee Jane Ellen Cable, Harris County Heritage Society Kay Crooker, Houston Homeowners Association

Joe Allen Jeffery S. Baloutine Betty Chapman Rosie Zamora Cope R. George Cunningham David B. Jones Susan Keeton Staci Minchen Mercedes Terry James A. Tinsley F. Carrington Weems Kenneth M. Williams

Suzanne Delehanty, Contemporary Arts Museum Franklin Denson, TEXAS

UMrrED

Lee M. Ellwood, UniversityofHoustoll,Downtown Edwin A. Eubanks, Eubanks, Bohnn Associates Stephen Fox, Fellow, The Anchorage Foundation James E. Furr, F.A.I.A., Hoover & Furr-3DII

Please enroll me as a member of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.

My contribution for the following category is enclosed.

Individual Patron Corporate

$25 $100 $500

Fmnily Business Student

$40 $250 $10 (cm:l()~c

copy 01 ID)

Nmne ____________________________________________ Address _________________________________________ City/State/Zip _____________________________ Telephone ______ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Mail with your check to: Greater Houston Preservation Alliance 712 Main Street, Suite 110 Houston, Texas 77002-3207 713/236-5000 The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance is a SO I (c)(3) corporation.

Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Jim Greenwood, Houston City Council EX-OFFICIO

Margie Elliott, Executive Director

Guy Hagstette, Houston Downtown Mgmt. Corp .

John T. Hannah

Donald Skipwith, Old Sixth Ward Historic Neighborhood

Janet Landay, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Kelly Thompson, Houston Archeological & Historic Commission

Truett Latimer, Houston Museum ofNatural Science

AI Davis, Chairman, Harris County Historical Commission

John Logan, Christ Church Cathedral

Donna H. Kristaponis, City ofHouston Director, Dept. ofPlanning and Development Bart Truxillo, Director Emeritus Charles D. Maynard, Jr., Legal Council

Louis Marchiafava, Houston Public Library Stewart Morris, Jr., Stewart Title Company Martha Murphree, American Institute ofArchitects Rolando Romo, Tejano Assn.for Historic Preservation,lnc.

Vince Ryan, Houston City Council

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE

Barrie Scardino

Margie Elliott Anna Mod Rosie Walker

Linda Sylvan, Rice Design Alliance EleanorTinsley, Houston City Council Betty Wardwell, Houston Proud

The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance 712 Main Street, Suite I 10 Houston, Texas 77002-3207 Address Correction Requested Return Postage Guaranteed

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 712