| 2010 Texas' Most Endangered Places |
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2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009
Austin Woman’s Club The Austin Woman’s Club, designed by San Antonio architect Alfred Giles (1853-1920) in 1874, was constructed as a two-story plus basement residence known as Bellevue Place. The residence was built on the bluff of Shoal Creek in a residential neighborhood west of downtown Austin. Giles remolded the home 20 years later for a subsequent owner, Major Ira Hobart Evans (1844-1922), into a French Romanesque structure complete with crenellation and buttressed walls. Major Evans was a Civil War veteran, director of the International-Great Northern Railroad, and a co-founder of the American National Bank in Austin. In 1870, he was elected speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and was the youngest person to serve in this position. Evans worked to secure education for newly freed slaves and helped to establish and fund Tillotson College, currently known as Huston-Tillotson College. In 1929, the Austin Woman’s Club purchased the building from the Evans estate, the same year the club was founded. The founding members, including Governor Miriam A. Ferguson, joined with other groups to secure a place for women to gather, learn and network. Since then, the Club has been integral to the civic and social life of Austin. The Club added a dining wing in 1960 and continued to maintain the original structure including the stunning interior wood finishes. The Austin Woman’s Club building suffers from deterioration and antiquated infrastructure. The mortar in the limestone has deteriorated, allowing water to seep into the walls of the building which has compromised the structural integrity in certain areas. The building’s electrical system needs to be replaced and central air conditioning needs to be installed. Like many civic organizations, the Club’s members struggle to preserve their historic headquarters while continuing their history of serving the community.
Brazos Drive-In Theatre Known as “Texas’ Finest Small-Town Drive-In Theatre,” the Brazos Drive-in opened in 1952 on U.S. Highway 377, which at that time, was the edge of Granbury. Constructed with local materials by businessmen to lure people into town, the drive-in was one of the few entertainment venues in Granbury and Hood County. When it opened, the drive-in had the latest in projection and sound equipment, and, today, all the features of the drive-in remain on the original five-acre site. The Brazos continues to serve as a community gathering place, attractive to families and young people. At their heyday in the 1950s, there were approximately 400 drive-in theatres in Texas and, today, the Brazos Drive-In is one of twelve remaining in operation. Drive-ins decreased in popularity as the television became more affordable and with the invention of the VCR. The Brazos Drive-in is popular and beloved by Granbury residents, however, it suffers from low attendance, high property taxes, and increased overhead. Surrounding development is encroaching on the property and lights from the adjacent high school football stadium disrupt the movie experience.
Herff Farm In Central Texas, large farmsteads are threatened by encroaching development and a lack of family members able to carry on the tradition. Located near Boerne, the Herff Farm is an excellent example of the original farmsteads that were founded in the Texas Hill Country by German immigrants. In 1852, Dr. Ferdinand Herff (1820-1912) acquired large tracts of land on at the confluence of Menger and Cibolo Creeks. Eventually, the farmstead grew to be 10,000-acres. Dr. Herff, a physician based in San Antonio, maintained the farm as a summer home until 1894, when his son, Charles, moved from San Antonio to manage the property until the early 1920s. In 1935, George and Erma Rozelle purchased 68 acres from Charles Herff’s son. Today, the 62-acre Herff Farm is located in the Cibolo Conservation Corridor and the property was last occupied in the mid-1980s. The family home, a two-story, limestone built in 1883, remains intact along with agricultural and domestic structures. In 2007, the Cibolo Nature Center began the acquisition of the Herff Farm in its efforts to protect and preserve the land for future generations. Texas is losing much of its farm and ranch land to sprawling, unchecked suburban development which is affecting water quality and wildlife conservation in Central Texas. The Nature Center has fought many battles including the construction of a sewer plant on the site and highway bypasses and will continue to work to promote the awareness of the Farm as both a natural and historic treasure.
Downtown Austin’s historic assets Increased population and falling tax revenues challenge Texas’ urban areas, adding a layer of difficulty to the task of preserving any community's cultural heritage. The Central Texas economy has experienced a boom in recent years, a trend that is most obvious in downtown Austin. Cranes perched atop the skyline during the past few years as developers scrambled to build dozens of taller and more dramatic buildings. The City Council has embraced and encouraged increased density in the city’s core as a means of reducing urban sprawl. In 2007, the council began to draft a downtown development plan that incentivizes downtown density but fails to provide protection for most historic sites, including the Capitol View Corridors and mid-century buildings. Preservationists have urged the city to articulate a vision for Austin that includes the preservation of its historic buildings. As the city continues to grow – up and out – the pressure on the small-scale historic buildings can only increase. The downside is demolition. The possibility of the destruction of historic structures increases dramatically in times of prosperity, when the pursuit of wealth tends to outweigh our desire to preserve history. Grand new development projects overshadow the foundations of our neighborhoods' heritage. Austin has been just such a place for almost a generation. The community has lost many buildings that defined the city and provided the beloved backdrop to the state capital. We hope that together we can act to preserve the buildings that reflect the history and character of our city.
Old Llano County (Red Top) Jail The Old Llano County Jail was constructed in 1895 and is affectionately known as “Red Top.” Inmates often referred to their incarceration as “staying over at the Red Top.” The four-story granite jail was built by the J. Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis who constructed many jails throughout the U.S. The granite exterior was quarried locally and the iron bars for the cells and windows were transported by rail from St. Louis and were assembled on site. The central tower housed the gallows. In 1982, the jail was condemned and in 2002 the county built a new jailhouse. The City of Llano purchased the jail from the County in 2005 to help with the restoration of the Llano County Courthouse. The jail suffers from poor drainage and the settling of the foundation has created large cracks in the walls. The east and west gables are falling away from the central tower. Many of the windows are in disrepair which allows rain and animals to enter the building, creating further damage. A nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Llano Red Top Jail, was formed to assist the City with the preservation of the jail. As many local governments opt for demolition to encourage new development, it is encouraging to see the community and the city partnering to preserve this historic building. However, the financial need is great and the maintenance of this massive granite building is a huge burden for any community.
Swenson Swimming Pool and Bathhouse In 1936, Erick P. Swenson of Spur Ranch donated land to the City of Spur for the purpose of a park. As the county was experiencing devastating loss due to the Depression and the drought, the City and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) partnered to establish a place for social interaction and recreation for the children of the surrounding rural communities. Many of the workers were from rural agricultural areas and were trained on site. The bathhouse was constructed with local stone and petrified wood in 1937. The pool was the only recreational area for miles and provided a welcome reprieve from the heat and hard labor that was customary to the ranch farm families during the summer. The swimming pool complex was closed in June 2009 when workers were preparing for the summer opening. The bathhouse is in fair condition and the roof was repaired in 2008 after a storm. However, the concrete pool is in danger of complete collapse due to leaks and erosion. The cost of replacing the leaking pipes and backfilling the void beneath the pool is the same as the cost of replacing the pool. In an isolated rural town, the pool and bathhouse continue to serve as one of the only recreational and social venues for the youth of Spur and surrounding communities. It is the hope of local preservationists that the swimming pool and bathhouse are rehabilitated and the complex is re-opened for public use.
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