Stabilization & rehabilitation for historic home & site

Permitted under the State Antiquities Landmark, Seventh Generation Design rehabilitated and renovated the Harrison House and its immediate portion of the site into a community center to accommodate public gatherings and special events. SGD rehabilitated as many of the surviving out-buildings as technically feasible to preserve the rural and agrarian context of the property. SGD introduced a limited number of interpretive elements to the site, educating the public about the natural, archeological, cultural, and historical resources of the property and the region.

In 2006, the property had emerged on Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Landmarks list. The property was designated as a State Archeological Landmark by Texas Historical Commission in 2009 to help save the property from demolition. Working with the City of Selma and the Texas Historical Commission, the property was classified as a conserved site in 2013. Construction on the property began in 2015, was thoroughly documented, and completed in 2016. The project was granted the Preservation Texas Honor Award in 2017.

Original House

C. 1852

Late 1880s

Back storage addition

1905-1915

East & West wing additions w/ porch

Mid 1900s

Kitchen addition

C. 2016

Kitchen removed w/ public restrooms added

Current House

The Harrison House had been abandoned for over 15 years; hence, many of the delicate Folk Victorian details were missing or in disrepair. The City of Selma Historical Society had uncovered living relatives of the owners to gain insight into the history and artifacts to aid in the reconstruction.

Front elevation such as these held the documentation to accurately re-construct missing porch elements.

Before construction (top), and after construction (bottom)

Location: San Antonio, TX

Program: Documenting historic walls for the National Parks Service

Recognition: Full drawing set has been archived in the Library of Congress for the National Parks Service records (HAER TX-3401)

Firm: Seventh Generation Design, Inc.

Role: Architectural Designer

Responsibilities: Created drawings in accordance with NPS standards in Revit from point cloud scans, coordinated water shut-off with the city for documentation, printed & submitted drawing package in accordance with Library of Congress & NPS archival standards