Preservation Events & Announcements

 

Historic Preservation Month - May 2013 - See, Save, Celebrate!

The Office of Historic Preservation will again promote Historic Preservation Month in May 2013.  This year's theme is "See, Save, Celebrate!"

San Antonio is filled with historic treasures, so join us as we "See, Save, and Celebrate" the architecture, history, and culture of our city. Together with local partners, we are presenting a full month of events and activities guaranteed to get you in the preservation spirit!  Check out all of our events at the links below.

Historic Preservation Month 2013 Events

Historic Preservation Month 2013 Calendar

 

S.T.A.R. in the Knob Hill Historic District - April 6-7th and 13-14th

S.T.A.R. (Students Together Achieving Revitalization) is a partnership between the Office of Historic Preservation, the UTSA College of Architecture, San Antonio College, the Historic Preservation Association (HPA), and local contractors to provide minor exterior home repairs and maintenance to homeowners within local historic districts.  Graduate and undergraduate architecture students assist property owners with repairs to windows and screens, siding, and porches, as well as provide general yard maintenance and exterior painting. Several contractors have generously volunteered their time to work with students, and other sponsors have donated food, supplies, and funding.

The latest S.T.A.R. project took place in the Knob Hill Historic District on April 6-7 and 13-14, 2013.  Check out more information and photos of all of the houses that participated in the S.T.A.R. project in Knob Hill at the links below.

                 S.T.A.R. in Knob Hill Photos                    "Students Repair Homes in East Side Neighborhood"

Past S.T.A.R. projects have assisted numerous homeowners in the Dignowity Hill, Tobin Hill, and Government Hill Historic Districts and the Five Points neighborhood. Check out our Past Events page for more information and photos of past S.T.A.R. projects. 

 

Go! Historic SA Guided Running/Walking Tour - Tuesday, May 14th

Register for the next Go! Historic SA guided running and walking tour of historic La Villita and HemisFair Park on Tuesday, May 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  This guided tour will stop at varies locations within La Villita and HemisFair Park.  Learn about the fascinating early history of La Villita and the more recent history of HemisFair '68, the world's fair celebrating the shared culture of San Antonio and the Americas. 

The tours are a great way to get fit and learn about our city.  Tours are $15 per person and are offered for both walkers and runners.  Register online (keyword guided tour) or fill out the registration form at the link below.  Tours are offered throughout the year, so check out the 2013 Tour Schedule below for upcoming tours dates.

         Tour Registration Form                             2013 Tour Schedule

 

 

Center City Open House - Tuesday, May 28th

For one night only, a vacant space will go from empty to vibrant through an incredible evening full of art, dance, music, and fashion. The Center City Development Office, the Office of Historic Preservation, and the Department for Culture and Creative Development are partnering to host the first Center City Open House event, which will take place on May 28 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 201 W. Commerce. This unique networking opportunity will showcase an underutilized space and encourage investment in San Antonio’s vacant historic buildings.  Artist Rex Hausmann and friends will add new life to the windows with a dynamic art display spanning the entire facade of the building. Ballet San Antonio will light up the evening with dance performances showcasing "Da Luz" a neo-classical piece representing famous statues coming to life. San Antonio fashion designer, Agosto Cuellar, coined "Wild Card Cuellar" by Project Runway’s Tim Gunn, will glam the evening up with his signature spin on fashion.

The event will also give guests an exclusive opportunity to enjoy complimentary drinks from Freetail Brewery and international hors d’oeuvres by Ming’s Thing. This event is free and open to the public. Guests can take advantage of the City’s Downtown Tuesday free-parking initiative. Complimentary parking at 506 Dolorosa Street parking lot after 5:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Colleen Swain at colleen.swain@sanantonio.gov or 210.207.4089.  Details at the link below.

Center City Open House Flyer

 

Westside Cultural Resource Survey - Let us know what matters to you!

The Office of Historic Preservation has partnered with the Westside Preservation Alliance (WPA), the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, the Westside Development Corporation (WDC), the San Antonio Conservation Society, the Old Spanish Trail Centennial (OST 100), and other volunteers to launch a Westside Cultural Resource Survey.  This is an ongoing initiative to identify, document, and protect places of cultural, historical, and architectural significance on the Westside of San Antonio.  Working with our community partners, we have identified over 90 historic properties that are significant to the Westside community (see Westside Potential Landmarks link below). 

A Kick-Off Event was held in February 2011 to initiate the project. A Westside Potential Landmarks Meeting was held on August 13, 2012, to solicit community feedback on the over 90 identified properties and sites. Information on the properties was made available for public review and comment at the Bazan Library, Guadalupe Street Coffee, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, and the Office of Historic Preservation through September 14.  Many of the properties identified during the survey have been recommended eligible for local landmark designation.  A meeting for owners of these properties was held on December 11, 2012.  The presentation from the meeting is available at the link below and highlights the benefits of landmark designation, the landmark designation process, and available tax incentives for landmarked properties. 

Twenty four (24) of the properties represent Phase I of the landmark initiative and are currently in the process of local landmark designation.  They were recommended for approval by the Historic and Design Review Commission on January 16, 2013.  The next steps of the landmark designation process include approval by the Zoning Commission (March 5) and City Council (March 21).  See the Phase I landmark list below. For additional information about the Westside Cultural Resource Survey and the Westside potential landmarks, please contact Elizabeth Porterfield (207-3327) or Nicholas Fuqua (207-0066).

                 Westside Potential Landmarks                                  Public Feedback on Westside Potential Landmarks

Westside Potential Landmarks Presentation - Dec. 11, 2012                Phase I Westside Landmarks

Amendment to Local Historic District Creation Process

An amendment to the policy for the creation of local historic districts (UDC Chapter 35, Article VI Historic Preservation and Urban Design, Division 2 Historic Preservation, Section 35-605) was approved by City Council on December 6, 2012.   The amendment fosters greater neighborhood participation and requires property owners to demonstrate sufficient support for district designation prior to starting the public hearing process.  For more detailed information on the approved amendment to the historic district creation process, please see the link below. 

Amendment to Local Historic District Creation Process

Ordinance

Conservation Society Names Recipients of 2012 Community Grants Program

Using the proceeds from its 2012 presentation of "A Night In Old San Antonio^®" (NIOSA^®), the San Antonio Conservation Society has awarded more than $134,000 this month in grants and special allocations to 15 historic preservation projects that fulfill its purpose to "preserve and to encourage the preservation of historic buildings, objects, places and customs relating to the history of Texas, its natural beauty and all that is admirably distinctive to our State."  Grants were awarded to 12 individuals or organizations in two categories: nine grants for residential historic structures and three grants for education projects. This year, three projects also were awarded "special allocations" by the Society Board, unrelated to the Grants process.

The Society began its building grants program for the restoration or rehabilitation of residential and commercial historic structures that are at least 50 years old in 1990.  Grants for educational projects relating to historic preservation were added in the early 1990s. Since 2000 alone, the Society’s grants program has awarded more than $1.8 million dollars to individuals and organizations.  The grants program occurs annually; applications for the 2013 grant program will be posted on the website at www.saconservation.org in late August 2013, or are available at the Society office.  For more information, contact the Conservation Society at (210) 224-6163 or conserve@saconservation.org.  For a complete list of the 2012 Community Grants recipients, please see the link below.

San Antonio Conservation Society Community Grants Recipients 2012

 

Highland Park - Eligible for Local Historic District Designation

Highland Park is an early 20th-century neighborhood on the city's near southeast side that has been determined to be eligible for local historic district designation.  OHP staff presented information at the Highland Park Neighborhood Association meetings on March 14th and June 13th about the history of the neighborhood and what it would mean if the neighborhood decides to pursue historic district designation.  The Highland Park presentation is available at the link below.  For more information, please contact Elizabeth Porterfield at 207-3327.

Highland Park Presentation

 

 

Mahncke Park - Eligible for Local Historic District Designation

Mahncke Park is an urban neighborhood largely composed of 1920s bungalows designed by developer H.C. Thorman.  Although currently a Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD), Mahncke Park has expressed interest in becoming a local historic district.  OHP staff recently presented general information about historic district designation at a Mahncke Park Neighborhood Association meeting in February 2013 (see the presentation at the link below). 

At this time, the neighborhood is considering the potential historic district boundary.  The map at the link below identifies the resources within Mahncke Park that have been identified as contributing and non-contributing to a potential historic district.  When a potential district boundary has been finalized, OHP staff will hold a public meeting for all property owners within the boundary area.  All owners will be notified of the meeting (when scheduled) by mail.  For more information, please contact Elizabeth Porterfield at 207-3327 or elizabeth.porterfield@sanantonio.gov.

Mahncke Park Presentation

Mahncke Park Resource Map

 

Southwest Texas Archaeological Society - Lecture Series

The Archaeological Institute of America Southwest Texas Archaeological Society (AIA-SWTAS) will offer a 2012-2013 Lecture Series!  These lectures are free and open to the public and cover a wide variety of topics within the field of archaeology.  The lecture series calendar, along with other related activities and events, is available at the link below.  

SWTAS Lecture Series Calendar

 

Texas Archeological Society Named Preserve America Steward

In May, 2012, the Texas Archeological Society (TAS) was named as a Preserve America Steward.  Twenty-one Preserve America Stewards from all across the nation have been officially designated and recognized for their exemplary volunteer efforts to care for historic resources around the country since the program was announced in 2008.  Other groups from Texas include the German Texan Heritage Society, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) RIP Program, and the THC Texas Archeological Stewards Network. Check out the link below for further information!

TAS Preserve America Award

 

Preservation Texas Announces Winners of  2012 Honor Awards

Preservation Texas has announced 10 awards and a special commendation recognizing the best of preservation in Texas. The Annual Honor Awards program recognizes accomplishments in historic preservation that inspire Texans and encourage them in their efforts to protect the irreplaceable resources of the state. "Preservation Texas recognizes these significant contributions to historic preservation in order to provide local communities the opportunity to honor their preservationists and share their accomplishments," said Krista Schreiner Gebbia, executive director of Preservation Texas. The 2012 Honor Awards were judged by an independent jury of distinguished professionals representing a cross-section of disciplines within the field of historic preservation.  Check out the link below for information on the award recipients.

Preservation Texas 2012 Honor Awards Winners

 

Texas Courthouses Named to NTHP List of 11 Most Endangered Places

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has included Texas Courthouses on its 2012 list of 11 Most Endangered Places. In 1999, the Texas legislature created the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.  The program is administered by the Texas Historical Commission and has provided some $247 million in matching grants to fully restore 62 historic courthouses and partially assist 21 more.  The Bexar County Courthouse has been restored through this program. Texas' historic courthouses represent some of the most significant public architecture in the state, ranging in style from Romanesque, like our Bexar County Courthouse, to more modern Art Deco.  Check out the links below for more information on the NTHP's 11 Most Endangered Places and the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.

Texas Historic Courthouse Program

 

            

King William Neighborhood Designated a Cultural Arts District

The King William neighborhood has been designated a "Cultural Arts District" by the Texas Commission of the Arts.  The King William Historic District, the oldest in Texas, features numerous artist galleries and venues including Blue Star and Say Si just to name a few.  Check out the website at the link below for more information about the artistic and cultural attractions of the neighborhood.

King William Cultural Arts District

                                        

Get Lost in the River Walk! - Smartphone Tour of Original Hugman Features

The San Antonio River Walk is a nationally recognized tourist attraction and one of the country’s most unique urban linear parks.  An initial concept for beautification and commercial development of the San Antonio River was conceived in 1929 by a visionary young architect named Robert H. H. Hugman. Work began on the River Walk project in 1939 under partial funding from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Hugman’s River Walk included the construction of numerous walkways, staircases, bridges, lush plantings, and the Arnesan River Theater. Although Hugman was dismissed from the project by the city in 1940, he was honored in the 1970s for his significant contribution to San Antonio. 

In recognition of R. H. H. Hugman’s important role in the development of the River Walk, the City has installed commemorative plaques at original Hugman features. The bronze plaques replicate the architectural seal used on Hugman’s original drawings.

A new Hugman Riverwalk Smartphone Tour has recently been unveiled highlighting 12 key Hugman features.  We invite you to explore our River Walk using this Historic Hugman River Walk Tour complete with text by renowned San Antonio historian Lewis Fisher and historic photos.  Get lost in the history of Hugman’s River Walk…enjoy your discovery!  An audio tour is also available online at www.hugmantour.com.

The City of San Antonio was recently recognized with the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Downtown Merit Award for its work on the Historic Hugman River Walk Tour.

 

Texas Star Trail Downtown Walking Tour Brochure

The San Antonio Conservation Society has unveiled the newly revised brochure for the self-guided Texas Star Trail Downtown Walking Tour of San Antonio’s historic sites. The Texas Star Trail Tour was initially produced by the Conservation Society in 1986 to celebrate Texas’ Sesquicentennial. With the help of the Office of Historic Preservation, the City’s Downtown Operations Department, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the walking tour has been updated to reflect the changes to our city’s core over the past 25 years.  

Historic sites are identified with a Texas Star medallion in the sidewalk in front of each structure. Smaller medallion markers in the sidewalk connect the sites along the 2.6 mile length. The revised Texas Star Trail brochure is available at the San Antonio Conservation Society’s headquarters at 107 King William Street, at the San Antonio Visitor Center at 317 Alamo Plaza, at the Office of Historic Preservation, and at the link below. Take a tour through downtown on the Texas Star Trail to discover our city's rich history!

Texas Star Trail Downtown Walking Tour Brochure

 

Houston Street Interpretive Kiosks

Explore downtown Houston Street and learn about the architecture and history of this significant commercial corridor through a series of interpretive kiosks. Former public telephone kiosks have been adaptively reused by the City's Downtown Operations Department and the Office of Historic Preservation, in partnership with the General Services Administration Good Neighbor Program. The eight kiosks between N. Alamo and N. Santa Rosa Streets feature interpretive panels highlighting many of the historic structures along Houston Street. 

Downtown Houston Street contains many examples of San Antonio’s spectacular commercial architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  As San Antonio developed into the largest city in Texas by 1900, Houston Street was transformed from a muddy lane into the city’s major business corridor.  In the period roughly between 1880 and World War II, Houston Street experienced an unprecedented building boom which produced some of San Antonio’s most beautiful commercial structures.

Houston Street Kiosk Brochure and Map