For Preservation the newsletter of
Volume 21, No. 2
www.ghpa.org
n
greater houston preservation alliance
Houston’s local partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Spring 2011
2011 p r e s e rvat i o n m o n t h lu n c h e o n
Discover ‘The Treasures Among Us’ during GHPA luncheon What do Rhett Butler, Johannes Gutenberg, William Shakespeare, Gloria Swanson and Edgar Allen Poe have in common? They are all represented in the diverse holdings of one unique institution: The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Learn about “The Treasures Among Us” when the Ransom Center’s director, Dr. Tom Staley, is the featured speaker at GHPA’s 2011 National Preservation Month Luncheon on Thursday, May 12, at River Oaks Country Club. Dr. Staley will share the history of the Center’s founding and impressive growth including a behind-the-scenes look at the archives and the amusing and interesting stories of the Center’s acquisitions. “The Treasures Among Us” refers not just
Historic districts update
Please see Districts, Page 2
ars, students and visitors to study and enjoy these collections, either by conducting research in our reading room or by attending our diverse exhibitions and programs, all of which are free and open to the public.” During the luncheon, GHPA will also recognize Randy Pace, City of Houston historic preservation officer, who is retiring after 16 years of service. Pace was hired in 1995 when Houston was instituting its first historic preservation ordinance. When he was hired by the city, he was working for Galveston Historical Foundation and had been personally involved in private preservation projects in Houston Heights and Galveston. Please see Luncheon, Page 2
By the book
Dr. Tom Staley: The director of the Harry Ransom Center at UT-Austin will be featured speaker at GHPA’s 2011 Preservation Month Luncheon.
Preservation briefs Local historian and author Betty Trapp Chapman will receive the second annual Mayor’s Citizen Preservation Award. Chapman is being recognized for her decades of scholarly research and writing, lectures and her service as chair of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission. The award will be presented during National Preservation Month in May on a date to be announced. The Friends of the Texas Room is accepting nominations for the Julia Ideson Award, which recognizes research projects that document Houston and Texas history and culture. Books, articles, theses and dissertations, film and video productions and websites are eligible for the award. Entries must significantly use the archival resources of the Texas Room/ Houston Metropolitan Research Center. Complete information is available on the Friends website at www. friendsofthetexasroom.org/ award.html.
joel draut
Houston City Council voted on March 23 to keep intact four City of Houston historic districts that had been up for reconsideration. Council approved retaining the existing boundaries of the Avondale West, Boulevard Oaks and Norhill historic districts. Council members also approved minor boundary changes for the First Montrose Commons Historic District. The vote means property owners in these districts will continue to benefit from the expanded protections in Houston’s historic preservation ordinance. The historic district re-
to the collections at the Ransom Center, but also to the Center itself. The Ransom Center is recognized throughout the world as one of the most important institutions for the study of 20th- and 21st-century literature and culture. The Center is home to 36 million manuscripts, one million rare or significant books, five million photographs and 100,000 works of art, including the archives of Tom Stoppard, Norman Mailer, Gloria Swanson, David O. Selznick, David Mamet, Robert De Niro, Arthur Miller and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. “The Ransom Center’s collections capture the imagination, invigorate scholarly research and deepen our understanding of culture,” said Dr. Staley. “The Center welcomes schol-
Byron Galvez of Evergreene Architectural Arts applies paint to a detail in the Julia Ideson Building (1926) of the Houston Public Library. The building, designed by Cram & Ferguson, is undergoing restoration; a new wing containing the Houston Metropolitan Research Center’s archives and reading room opened in 2010. Gensler is the architect and SpawMaxwell Company is the general contractor for the restoration and expansion project, which is scheduled to be completed in August. For more information, visit www.ideson.org.
dow n tow n
1932 Wilson Co. Building slated for restoration
GHPA file
New owners are restoring the former Wilson Stationery & Printing Co. Building (1932) in downtown Houston. A private partnership, 500 Fannin LLC, has hired Ziegler Cooper Architects to design the renovation. Fretz Construction is the general contractor. The Downtown Redevelopment Authority has approved a façade preservation grant for the project. William Ward Watkin, supervising architect for the construction of the Rice Institute (now Rice University) campus, designed the historic building at the corner of Fannin Street and Prairie Avenue. The Wilson Building’s Art Deco design is a departure from Watkin’s usual classically inspired works. The Wilson Building has stood vacant for many years, but much of its original detailing has survived. The building is featured in GHPA’s book Houston Deco: Modernistic Architecture of the Texas Coast; more photos of the Wilson Building and its detailing are available on the Houston Deco website at www.houstondeco.org/1930s/wilson.html.
Wilson Stationery & Printing Co. Building (1932, William Ward Watkin)
Houston History Association has issued a call for papers to be presented during the inaugural Houston History Conference on Saturday, October 29, at the Hilton-University of Houston Hotel and Conference Center. The event is being held in conjunction with the city’s official 175th anniversary celebration. The theme of the conference is “Milestones and Arrivals: 175 Years of Coming to Houston.” For information on submitting papers, e-mail info@houstonhistoryassociation.org.