Seguin Historic Resources Survey Preliminary Results Presentation - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Seguin Historic Resources Survey

Preliminary Results Presentation JULY 2019

Presentation Overview

• Historic Resources Surveys
• Project Background & Goals
• Project Approach
• Results
• Q & A

Historic Resources Surveys

Historic Resources Surveys

• A systematic method

to identify and document historic‐age resources

• Fieldwork and

research

Significance & Integrity

Significance

• Significance in American history,

architecture, archeology, engineering, or culture

• Important to history at the local,

state, or national level

Integrity

• Does it look much the way it used

to?

• Does it illustrate its significance?

significance + integrity significance, but lacks integrity

Historic Resources Surveys

• A historic resources survey is simply an inventory
• A tool to document the appearance and significance of

properties over time

• Does not in itself impose regulations

Historic Resources Surveys

• Required for Certified Local Governments

Historic Resources Surveys

• Information from surveys can be used in many ways:
• Design standards
• Demolition review
• Disaster documentation
• Official designation

Designation

Can be regulatory & have benefits Local Honorary + Tax Credits

State

Honorary + Tax Credits

National

Designation

• Period of Significance
• Area(s) of Significance

Designation

• Individual
• District
• Contributing
• Non‐contributing

NRHP District Local District

Designated resources in downtown Seguin

Seguin Project Background

Previous Projects

1977‐1979

1983 ~1998 2003

NRHP district established Survey NRHP district updated/expanded Local district established

Previous Projects

1977‐1979

1983 ~1998 2003 2018

NRHP district established Survey NRHP district updated/expanded Local district established Survey

SS6

Project Tasks & Goals

Project Tasks

• 1. Develop historic context

Project Tasks

2. Reconnaissance survey of downtown and Austin St. between downtown and the railroad

Survey includes resources built in 1973 or earlier

Project Tasks

3. Windshield survey of area outside the reconnaissance survey area

Windshield survey area

Project Goals

• 1. Assign high, medium, and low priorities

High priority Medium priority Low priority

Project Goals

• 2. Make recommendation regarding existing

historic district boundaries

• 3. Update list of contributing/non‐contributing

resources within district

Project Goals

• 4. Make recommendations regarding new districts

and individually eligible resources

Value to City

• Heritage tourism efforts
• Future city planning decisions
• Expansion/update to historic district
• Designation of local landmarks
• Future state and federal listing potential
• Identification of resources with the greatest historical significance that

may require focused preservation efforts or funding

• Refinement of design guidelines
• Disaster planning
• Historic resource data management

Seguin Project Approach

Project Approach

Prep Survey Process Report

Prep Survey Process Report

Developed draft historic context

Historic aerials

Field maps

Developed Custom Database

Prep Survey Process Report

Field Survey

Local Research

Prep Survey Process Report

Individual Property Research

• Review written

materials and historical photographs/maps

• Incorporate

information from community members

Complete Inventory Forms

• QA/QC
• Assess significance
• Assign high, medium, or low

priority

• Individual / district

recommendations

Sample page from a THC inventory form

Prep Survey Process Report

Results & Recommendations

# of documented resources: 186

*Defined as parcels with one or more historic‐age resource (built in 1973 or earlier) visible from the right‐of‐way

80% 6% 14%

Parcels in the Reconnaissance Survey Area

Historic‐age parcel* Non‐historic‐age parcel Vacant parcel / parking lot

Historic Function of Surveyed Resources

119 45 8 4 10 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Commerce / Trade Domestic Government Recreation / culture Other

12 3 19 40 33 21 16 11 24 3 4

Year Built of Surveyed Resources

Preservation Priorities

High 22% Medium 56% Low 22%

Craftsman residence, c. 1910 Southern Pacific’s masonry freight depot, c.1900

Examples of High Priority Properties

310 N. Austin Street Streamline Moderne gas station

Examples of Medium Priority Properties

• c. 1900 commercial building with major

alterations 1973 building that lacks significance

Examples of Low Priority Properties

Existing Historic Designations

local landmarks

6

NRHP

3

Existing Historic Designations

local landmarks

6

NRHP

Recommended Eligible

3

local landmarks

32

NRHP

26

Late 19th century Classical Revival residence (local landmark & NRHP) Early Modern/Post‐war Modern architecture; earliest fire station in Seguin still in operation (local landmark & NRHP) Spanish Colonial Revival/Art Deco theater;

• ne of two of the era remaining in Seguin

(local landmark & NRHP)

Examples of Local Landmark & NRHP Recommendations

Rare example of a mobile calaboose associated w/ county convict farm (local landmark)

NRHP District Re‐Evaluation Recommendations

• Expanded period of significance from c. 1845 ‐ 1953

to 1838 ‐ 1969

• Increased boundary
• 101 contributing resources; 16 noncontributing

resources

Current NRHP District

contributors

80

noncontributors

Recommended Update to NRHP District

37

contributors

101

noncontributors

16

Recommended NRHP Historic District Expansion

SS8

Local Historic District

• Establish Period of

Significance and Areas of Significance

• Increase boundary
• 117 contributing

resources; 25 noncontributing resources

New Historic District

• Austin Street Residential

Historic District

• Recommended eligible as

local district and NRHP district

New Historic District

New Historic District

Recommendations for Future Work

• 1. Update local historic district boundaries and pursue designation for those

properties recommended eligible as local landmarks.

• 2. Pursue an update to the Seguin Commercial Historic District NRHP

nomination.

• 3. Pursue listing of individual resources recommended eligible for the NRHP

and the recommended Austin Street Residential Historic District.

Recommendations for Future Work

• 4. Conduct a citywide windshield survey (excluding the current

reconnaissance survey area) to identify high priority properties; then document only these properties.

Recommendations for Future Work

• 5. Conduct intensive‐level

research on the historical African American business district in order to determine if a historic district is present.

212 E Court St: potentially located in an African American business district; potential association w/ early African American doctor in Texas

Recommendations for Future Work

• 6. Pursue a historic context to document Seguin’s rich multi‐ethnic history

and conduct a survey of resources associated with the city’s Mexican American heritage and African American heritage.

Recommendations for Future Work

• 7. Support digitization of the Heritage Museum’s photo collections.

Courtesy of The Heritage Museum

Last Call for Community Input

• Download report at

https://www.seguintexas.gov/historicsurvey

• Email us property information at

SeguinSurvey@coxmclain.com

Questions?

Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. Sandy Shannon, Project Manager SandyS@coxmclain.com 512.944.9144 City of Seguin Kyle Kramm, Main Street & CVB Director KKramm@seguintexas.gov 830.401.2448