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January 2021 // Vol. 28, No. 1
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Texas preservation tax credit report highlights $2.6 billion-plus in investments statewide
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Texas Historical Commission has released its annual report on the Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program. Since 2015, 243 preservation projects have been completed through the program, resulting in the investment of more than $2.6 billion in historic buildings across the state.
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Houston is a major beneficiary of the program. Five Good Brick Award-winning projects are in the report: Cambria Hotel in the Petroleum Building (1927, Alfred C. Bossom), 1314 Texas Avenue; Heights Clock Tower in the Oriental Textile Mill (1894), 611 W. 22nd Street; Beth Yeshurun Synagogue (1962, Eugene Werlin and Lenard Gabert Sr.), 4525 Beechnut Street; Le Méridien hotel in the Melrose Building (1952, Hermon Lloyd and W.B. Morgan), 1121 Walker Avenue; and historic houses at 908 Sabine Street (c. 1890, c. 1910) that have been rehabbed as residential rentals.
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State and federal tax credits are available for the rehabilitation of qualified income-producing properties. Contact PH staff for more information about the programs.
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PH's online research resource list can help you discover the stories of historic places, people
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Thanks to a wide range of research materials available online, it has never been easier to dig into the history of a home, building, neighborhood or individual — and these resources are accessible even as many libraries and other research institutions remain closed or are operating on a limited basis.
Preservation Houston has compiled a list of online resources to serve as a starting point for research projects. Many of the resources on the list are available free of charge, especially for those holding Houston Public Library cards. HPL members can search the archives of the Houston Chronicle, view complete sets of Sanborn fire insurance maps of Houston and, under a temporary arrangement, access a version of Ancestry.com without a paid subscription to the service. Other resources linked from the PH list include historic maps of Houston, city directories and the digitized archives of institutions across the region and the state.
Preservation Houston also offers research guidance to the owners of historic properties free of charge. Contact us for more information.
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2021 Good Brick Awards will be presented during a drive-in double feature March 25
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Celebrate the talented people who are using historic preservation to make Houston a better, more interesting place to live when Preservation Houston presents the 2021 Good Brick Awards at the Cornerstone Drive-In on Thursday evening, March 25. Downtown’s glittering skyline will provide a backdrop for the festivities at MoonStruck Drive-In Cinema in the East End.
Our special double feature will begin with the premiere presentation of this year’s Good Brick Award-winning projects showcased on the big screen. The video awards program will be followed by the inspiring documentary Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, the story of a David-and-Goliath clash in midcentury New York that helped change the way we look at preservation, urban planning and redevelopment.
Visit the PH website to learn more about the event and make a reservation or donation.
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Reminder: Learn about the lives and legacies of six Houston business leaders in an online program February 2
You've probably heard their names before — and now you can learn the stories behind six key figures from Houston's business history in an online program with PH Programs Director Jim Parsons on Tuesday evening, February 2. The illustrated talk will explore the careers and legacies of lumberman John Henry Kirby; cotton broker Will Clayton; developer Mellie Esperson; industrialists George and Herman Brown; and publisher, banker and builder Jesse Jones. Registration is free for PH/Pier & Beam members and $10 for the general public; sign up online through Monday, February 1.
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PH reads
Five items that have recently caught our eye related to preservation, design, history and urbanism
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2 | Texas history: 12 books about how modern Texas was built: The urban modernity that we take for granted today came rushing at Texans with great speed, mostly during the past 75 years. Two points of entry for understanding this rapid change are buildings and urban planning — and publishers have released several excellent new (or newish) books that put Texas and its modern urban design into context. (Austin American-Statesman)
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3 | Kell(e)y Courts/Village: What's in a name?: The Kelly Courts public housing community in the Fifth Ward was named for Alex K. Kelley, a Black civic leader. But for the past 80 years, Houston's housing authority has misspelled Kelley's name in the complex named for him. This error, architectural historian Stephen Fox writes, reflects an official indifference to Kelley Courts matched in the 21st century by its increasing marginalization. (Cite Digital)
Photo: Peter Molick
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5 | At the Louvre, Mona Lisa is alone, but still smiling: The world’s most visited museum is grappling with its longest closure since World War II as pandemic restrictions keep its treasures under lock and key. But without crowds that can swell to as many as 40,000 people a day, museum officials are seizing a golden opportunity to finesse a grand refurbishment for when visitors return. (The New York Times)
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Anything you think we should include in the next edition of Keynote? Comments on what you've read? Let us know! And use the buttons below to find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and at our website, preservationhouston.org.
Thanks for reading — look for Keynote in your inbox every few weeks.
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