Keynote Summer/Fall 2012
Vol. 22, No. 3
the newsletter of
Preservation Houston
Houston’s Local Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
www.preservationhouston.org
2012 annual meeting
Discover a Texas treasure at PH’s Annual Meeting Members of Preservation Houston are invited to meet others who share their interest in historic preservation and learn about one of Texas’ biggest restoration projects during the 2012 Annual Meeting at The Parador, 2021 Binz at Almeda, on Thursday evening, October 11. The Board
of Directors for 2012-2013 will also be introduced that evening, and retiring board members will be recognized. A reception with wine, soft drinks and light hors d’oeurves begins at 6:30 p.m. with the program at 7 p.m. Please reply with the number of those attending the Annual
Meeting to rsvp@preservationhouston.org. There is no charge for the event. Free parking is available in the surface lot on Almeda Road just north of The Parador. “We encourage our members to bring guests who are not yet members,” said Executive Director Ramona Davis.
staff members David Bush and Jim Parsons, co-authors and photographers of the new book Fair Park Deco: Art and Architecture of the Texas Centennial Exposition. They will share stories and images of the 1936 exposition
“We hope that everyone will enjoy the evening, meet some interesting people and join Preservation Houston.” PH membership materials will be available, and memberships may be purchased during the meeting. Speakers for the evening will be Preservation Houston
Please see Meeting, Page 3
freedmen’s town
Historic church’s ruins become centerpiece of Fourth Ward park david bush
The Barker Store (c. 1898) is one of four surviving buildings from the Barker community that must be moved because of new development. PH in the community
Varied projects keep PH staff busy
david bush
david bush
Please see Community, Page 3
The surviving walls of Bethel Baptist Church (1923, 1950) will be stabilized and braced from the inside as part of the work on Bethel Park, allowing the removal of exterior braces that have supported the structure since it burned in 2005.
Programs to focus on Texas architecture courtesy of society of architectural historians
One of the most valuable services Preservation Houston offers is one that receives little attention outside the organization. Staff members regularly assist owners and developers of historic properties in researching their buildings and applying for local, state and national designations. Preservation Houston also facilitates communication between property owners, public entities and private organizations to encourage preservation efforts throughout the Houston area. Historic Neighborhood Resources Director Courtney Tardy has researched and written the nomination for St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, 714 Detering Street, to receive a Texas historical marker. When the AfricanAmerican congregation was founded in 1902, its neighborhood in Houston’s West End was a small rural community. “This work gives PH a
City officials and community leaders broke ground on August 24 for the new Bethel Park in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town neighborhood. The park will preserve the remaining walls of historic Bethel Baptist Church, 801 Andrews Street, and adjacent green space. The landmark African-American church burned in January 2005. The building had stood vacant for several years before the fire as Bethel’s dwindling congregation found it difficult to maintain the property. The Rev. Jack Yates, a freed slave, founded the church in 1891 after leaving nearby Antioch Baptist Church, where he had served as pastor since 1868. Bethel’s Gothic Revival sanctuary was constructed in two phases in 1923 and 1950; African-American architect John L. Blount designed the building’s first phase. Bethel Baptist Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Bethel Park is a joint project of the Fourth Ward Redevelopment Authority/ TIRZ #14 and the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Buildings of Texas, Volume I is set for release in early 2013.
Preservation Houston is partnering with the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) to produce public programming related to an important new book, Buildings of Texas, Volume I: Central, South, and Gulf Coast, and its companion Archipedia website. The book and website will provide an introduction to the development of the built environment and landscape of central and coastal Texas, outline the region’s geography and history, and examine how economic, geographic and social considerations shaped local architecture. “During 300 years of European settlement and 10,000 years of habitation by native peoples, Texas’ diverse natural landscape and built environment produced an architectural heritage of national and international stature,”
SAH Executive Director Pauline Saliga said. “Buildings of Texas will heighten awareness of the scope, beauty and historic significance of Texas architecture and educate a broad audience about the history and cultural heritage of the state through its buildings and built landscapes,” she said. PH member Gerald Moorhead coordinated the project, was sole photographer and contributed to the text. PH members Stephen Fox and Anna Mod were responsible for significant sections of Buildings of Texas. Fox wrote about the upper Gulf Coast, including Houston, and Mod wrote about central Texas. Preservation Houston plans to host a Please see Buildings, Page 3