February 11, 2009
RELEASE ON RECEIPT

For more information, contact:  
Krista Schreiner Gebbia,
512-472-0102 (O)/703-254-3474 (cell)
Krista@preservationtexas.org
Shirley Wills, 210-822-2378 (O)/210-365-4488 (cell)
shirleywills@stic.net 
Photos available on request.

Local Spokesperson:  Molly Dannenmaier, 409-765-7834,
Molly.dannenmaier@galvestonhistory.org

Preservation Texas Names The Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District In Galveston To Its Sixth Annual List Of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places

Sites in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, San Antonio, Central Texas, and East Texas Included on 2009 List

AUSTIN, TEXAS…The Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District in Galveston was among 11 sites that Preservation Texas, Inc. named to its sixth annual list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places.

Preservation Texas officials announced the selections on the steps of the Texas State Capitol on February 11, Preservation Day 2009.

Galveston Island is a city known for its wealth of 19th and 20th century architecture.  The Strand/Mechanic Historic District, located on Strand and Ship’s Mechanic Row between 20th and 26th Streets, is among the island’s most significant collection of architecture with more than 45 buildings in 12 blocks with great architectural significance.  This district with buildings from the 1850s has remained resilient though economic and natural disaster.

On September 13, 2008, Galveston Island took a direct hit from Hurricane Ike.  Reports and photographs show the Strand Mechanic District with a mixture of salt water, oil and debris flooding the streets.  The buildings took from 10 to 13 feet of water, ruining interiors and soaking mechanical systems, and sustained roof damage from high winds.  Water remained in the area for more than two days, inundating its historic fabric.  The urgency to bring life back to Galveston and remind all involved of the importance of this historic place is at an all time high. 

“Like the other sites on our 2009 endangered list, the Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District reflects the increasing awareness across our state of the importance of preserving structures that have played important roles in the  history of our state,” said Libby Buuck, president of Preservation Texas, Inc., a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  “From churches and schools to parks and private residences, the sites represent places that are as important to our history and way of life as longhorn cattle and 10-gallon hats.  Many have been such an important part of our heritage that it is easy to take them for granted.  By calling attention to them now, we want to encourage residents to act while there’s still time.”

Buuck added that each individual listing is threatened by possible destruction, adverse development or neglect, and each has a compelling reason for being saved.  “These sites represent the most eminent needs and highest probability for positive action,” she said.

Preservation Texas, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization that advocates for preserving the historic resources in Texas.

Preservation Texas named its first list of endangered historic sites in 2004.  Several sites recognized by Preservation Texas have benefited from inclusion on the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places through energized conservation efforts, commitments for restoration, and additional funding. Texas historic courthouses and the Statler Hilton Hotel, both named to the Preservation Texas list, also were cited by the National Trust for Historical Preservation.

The 2009 list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places includes:

AUSTIN

American National Bank Building
111 W. Sixth Street
Austin, Travis County

The American National Bank building, which opened in 1954, was billed as the “most modern, efficient and service-minded bank in Texas.”  For their new headquarters, bank officials hired prominent designers who integrated art and architecture into a thoroughly modern public/private building.  The lead designer was Austin-based architectural firm Kuehne, Brooks and Barr (1942-1960) and the interiors were designed by Florence Knoll (1917-) who integrated a large mural by local artist, Seymour Fogel (1911-1984).  Later, the building was acquired by the State of Texas for the offices of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, who occupied the building until 2005.

The importance of preserving buildings constructed in the second half of the 20th century has been noted internationally by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the World Monuments Fund.  Texas has a strong history of great buildings constructed after World War II, mostly notably the Statler Hilton Hotel listed on the 2008 Texas’ Most Endangered Places list. The building is for sale. Its location in one of the most desirable parts of downtown Austin makes it likely that it will be demolished to make room for a larger mixed-use building.

Hamilton Pool Preserve
24300 Hamilton Pool Preserve
Dripping Springs, Travis County

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural feature in southwest Travis County upstream from the confluence of Hamilton Creek and the Pedernales River. The pool occurs where Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings, creating a 50-foot waterfall that plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up though it slows to a trickle in dry times.

Hamilton Pool Preserve is suffering from its own popularity as a recreational destination as well as from minimal regulation and increased suburban development. In May 2007, Hamilton Pool and Hamilton Creek suffered major silt and erosion runoff during the construction of a residential subdivision upstream.  The damage to Hamilton Pool, Davis Creek, Cripple Creek, Hamilton Creek and 10 unnamed tributaries in the surrounding area has been devastating.

Texas Governor’s Mansion
1010 Colorado
Austin, Travis County

As the fourth oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the United States, the Texas Governor’s Mansion has been the official home of each of the 40 Texas governors since 1856.  Constructed by master builder Abner Cook, the mansion is a fine example of the Greek Revival style and was built from Texas materials like long-leaf pine from Bastrop and brick made on the Colorado River.  As the oldest building in the State Capitol Complex, the Governor’s Mansion has played a significant role in political and governmental events for more than 15 decades. The home also stands as a historical repository of domestic life during the past 153 years.  The Mansion’s history showcases technological change, changing taste in building interiors, the evolution of the role of women and changes in the daily routine of family life.

Fire nearly destroyed the Mansion in June 2008. The restoration will rightly require the highest level of craftsmanship and attention to historical details, and the efforts will cost millions and take several years.  Because the State is self-insured and because all revenue sources have been affected by the overall economic downturn, it remains uncertain how this Texas treasure will be preserved. 

EL PASO

Socorro Mission Rectory
328 Nevarez Road
El Paso, El Paso County

The Socorro Mission, Nuestra Senora de Limpia Concepcion de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur, (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of the Piros of Socorro of the South) was established in the late 17th century by Spanish missionaries in an attempt to bring Christianity to the Piro Indians.  The Socorro Mission is a functioning parish and is open to the public. 

The mission complex includes the mission, the Lourdes Grotto, old and new cemeteries, the parish hall, and the one-story adobe rectory.  The 1840s rectory is the only surviving example of a Mexican/Territorial structure intended for use by a parish priest in the West Texas/Southern New Mexico/Northern Mexico region.  Believed to be constructed as an L-shaped building, the rectory currently has a square floor plan with a center courtyard. 

The building is in poor condition due to moisture entrapment and differential movement caused by the application of cement-based products in the 1920s and poor maintenance practices.  Cracks and fractures are visible in the interior and exterior stucco surfaces.  After completing the restoration of the mission several years ago, the parish has focused its attention on the restoration of the rectory.  Fundraising for this ambitious plan is proceeding slowly and is a difficult task for the small Socorro community.
 
FORT WORTH

Heritage Plaza
Intersection of West Bluff Street and Main Street on South Bluff
Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Heritage Plaza is a superior example of a 1970s urban water park designed by Lawrence Halprin, considered by many to be a master of landscape architecture. Heritage Plaza was built as a project of the Fort Worth Bicentennial Committee in celebration of the city’s rich history. It is located at the intersection of West Bluff Street and Main Street on South Bluff. A plaque dedicated there by Ruth Carter Stevenson read: “The 112-acre Heritage Park at the confluence of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity River will span the dimensions of time for this and future generations to know and enjoy by preserving the bluffs and river where Fort Worth was founded in 1849.”

At Heritage Plaza, Halprin created a meditative space that commemorates the history of Fort Worth and celebrates its natural and scenic wonders. Halprin also designed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco.  Heritage Plaza was designated a 2008 Landslide list “Endangered Marvel of Modernism” by the Cultural Landscape Foundation and was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. 

The City of Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department closed Heritage Plaza in summer 2007.  Its fountains are dry, and its walls and walkways are not being maintained. The trees and plantings within the plaza reveal years of neglect, adding to the perception that the park is an unsafe place.  The city has not provided any updates on its plans for the park, and it will remain closed until future actions are determined. Rather than being cherished as a community asset, Heritage Plaza has literally been kept in the dark, as have the citizens of Fort Worth.

 
HOUSTON

Former Alamo Elementary School
201 E. 27th Street
Houston, Harris County

The two-story brick building with Romanesque Revival detailing was constructed in 1913 as the Sunset Heights School.  The school, when completed, stood outside the city limits, though it  became part of the Houston school district in the 1920s.  In 1926, a one-story Classical Revival building was constructed adjacent to the 1913 school and the name of the school was changed to Alamo Elementary.  Since the 1980s, the property has been a maintenance facility for the Houston Independent School District.

The school on the district’s list of properties set for disposition.  The school occupies a full block in a historic residential neighborhood that is facing significant development pressures.  It is likely that the property will be sold to a developer that will demolish the school. 

GALVESTON

Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District
Strand and Ship’s Mechanic Row between 20th and 26th Streets
Galveston, Galveston Island

Galveston Island is a city known for its wealth of 19th and 20th century architecture.  The Strand/Mechanic Historic District is among the island’s most significant collection of architecture with more than 45 buildings in 12 blocks with great architectural significance.  This district with buildings from the 1850s has remained resilient though economic and natural disaster.

On September 13, 2008, Galveston Island took a direct hit from Hurricane Ike.  Reports and photographs show the Strand Mechanic District with a mixture of salt water, oil and debris flooding the streets.  The buildings took from 10 to 13 feet of water, ruining interiors and soaking mechanical systems, as well as high winds damaging roofs. Water remained in the area for more than two days, inundating its historic fabric.  The urgency to bring life back to Galveston and remind all involved of this importance historic place is at an all time high. 

SAN ANTONIO

Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor
From the south at Highway 16 in Helotes, to Boerne Stage Road; continues north as Boerne Stage Road to Balcones Creek at the Kendall County Line
Helotes to Boerne, Bexar County

Created as a driving route in the 1920s, the Scenic Loop was originally 46.3 miles roundtrip from downtown San Antonio, located at the base of the Hill Country.  Scenic Loop Road is a winding road that follows the Helotes Creek in a valley that encompasses the city of Grey Forest and connects with Boerne Stage Road.  The history of the area spans several thousands of years.  Along the route is evidence of prehistoric archaeological sites, 19th-century rock structures, the Old Spanish Trail, hill country vistas, historic farms and ranch lands including the Maverick Ranch, and natural resources. 

The remaining scenic and historic route is approximately 10 miles. From the south at Highway 16, Scenic Loop Road winds along creeks and springs and continues up the hills to connect with the Boerne Stage Road.  At that point, the road turns north and continues as Boerne Stage Road to the Balcones Creek at the Kendall County line.

CENTRAL TEXAS

1874 Church
438 N. Wall Street
Belton, Bell County

Originally known as Old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, the Belton church is the oldest standing church in Bell County.  The building constructed of limestone rubble masonry, was completed in 1874. A stone bell tower was added in 1956.  The church served as a place for refuge and solace during World War II. 

The church is structurally unsound: The north and south walls are 10 inches out of plumb and the face stone of the walls has separated from the inner layer. The foundation has shifted and settled during the past 140 years, which has contributed to the building's distress. 

Bluff Dale Bridge
County Road 149; Berry Creek Road, ¼ mile north of US 377
Stephenville, Erath County

Completed in 1891, the Bluff Dale Bridge is an exceedingly rare example of a nineteenth-century cable-stayed bridge.  The bridge spans 225 feet and has seven one-inch cables that run the length of each side.  Towers made of nine-inch pipe support the cables 28 feet above the water.  The bridge is built over the Paluxy River about halfway between Stephenville and Granbury and served as the principal crossing of the river until 1934.  The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad was built through the area in 1889 and the town became a livestock shipping port for local ranchers. 

The bridge is in an advanced state of deterioration.  It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1989. The cables are extremely frayed, and the pipes that support the bridge are no longer safe for traffic.  Since being taken out of service, maintenance has been non-existent.  The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) applied for Transportation Enhancement funds for a Historic Bridge Preservation Program in 2006 and the Bluff Dale Bridge was included in the proposal.  However, two years ago TXDOT corrected agency budget problems by canceling the enhancement program.  As a result, Bluff Dale and 40 other historic bridges in Texas are without rehabilitation funds.

EAST TEXAS

Judge J.N. Campbell House
433 S. Center
Longview, Gregg County

The Judge J.N. Campbell house was completed in 1872 and was bought by J.N. Campbell, the first Gregg County judge around 1895.  The home was originally constructed in the Queen Anne style but was renovated in the early 1900s in the Neoclassical style.  Longview was established in 1870 adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad.  As the home of a prominent judge, the structure played host to Texas jurists as well as business and political leaders.  J.N. Campbell’s brother, Thomas Mitchell Campbell (1856-1923) served as Texas governor from 1907 until 1911 and was a friend of James Hogg. 

The house is vacant.  A preliminary evaluation found evidence of structural distress caused by damaged floor joists, foundation settlement and water damage.  The community is taking an active role in revitalizing Longview and the restoration of the Campbell house will encourage other preservation efforts. 
Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places program is funded by generous grants from the Burdine Johnson Foundation and the Summerlee Foundation.  By providing statewide awareness through media coverage, the Most Endangered Places program is a marketing and educational tool that recognizes the importance of specific sites while promoting the cause of historic preservation in Texas. 

For more information on Texas' Most Endangered Historic Places, visit our Web site at www.preservationtexas.org, or phone Preservation Texas, Inc. at 512-472-0102.

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