A sprawling lot in Northwest Hills – once home to a summer camp for boys – could be headed to City Council’s agenda sometime soon, after a move to zone the site historic secured approval from the Historic Landmark Commission earlier this month.
Built around 1940 for army captain and outdoorsman Warren Penn Knox, the ranch house at 7304 Knox Lane remained in his family until the passing of Margaret P. Knox late last year. Now, new owners are eyeing the site for demolition and redevelopment, though details are under wraps.
In its previous life, the property was known as Running Rope Ranch, a day camp for outdoorsy youths that offered riding lessons, swimming and other training in outdoor activities. The lot also boasts unique wildlife and archaeological finds, including a number of possible Native American mounds and seven natural springs that are home to the endangered Jollyville Plateau salamander.
With its storied past and landscape treasures, staff in the Historic Preservation Office said the site may qualify for landmark status per the city’s historic designation criteria. While neither the property’s current owners nor neighbors were present to make the case, several parties wrote in to oppose the demolition.
“My primary objection is that this house has been a major landmark for several generations of Northwest Hills families,” neighbor James E. Jarrett said in a written statement. “For more than 40 years it has been decorated during the holidays as a gingerbread house. … If the new owners allowed the residence to remain, I’m sure many of us nearby neighbors would decorate the house as in the past and continue to create a spectacle for future families.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to initiate historic zoning, citing the property’s historical association, archaeological significance, community value and landscape features.
Still, the case will need to face both the Planning Commission and City Council for approval, a process with a notoriously slim success rate without owner cooperation.
Staff will return to further discuss the case in April, with instructions to delve deeper into concerns raised over founder W.P. Knox’s ties to the Texas Confederate Home for Men. Commissioners also hope for more answers regarding the owner’s plans – rumored to involve a 12-home subdivision.
“It is a large piece of property, so in my mind that is probably the intention,” said Commissioner Blake Tollett, who authored the motion. “But I don’t think that would negate preserving some portion.”
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Historic Landmark Commission: The city’s Historic Landmark Commission promotes historic preservation of buildings and structures. The commission also reviews applications and permits for historic zoning and historic grants.
