The Historic Landmark Commission heard a proposal last month to demolish an old building and construct a new one on a property located in the West Line Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The building in question, at 1007 Maufrais St., is also a contributing building, meaning […]
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.
Posted inPreservation
Landmark Commission votes against front-yard pool proposal
At last month’s meeting on March 22, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a certificate of appropriateness application to modify the landscape, construct a terrace and build a swimming pool at the historic Jackson-Novy-Kelly-Hoey House at 2406 Harris Blvd. First recommended for historic zoning in 2009, the property has been home to “some of the most […]
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Landmark commission approves changes to historic Mary Street home
Last week, the Historic Landmark Commission gave the go-ahead for some repairs and upgrades to a home at 508 E. Mary St., a property in the Mary Street Historic District. Originally established in 1928, “the 500 block of E. Mary Street was part of a working-class neighborhood comprised of a mix of homeowners and renters, […]
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Landmark Commission postpones decision to deliberate on historic designation
At last week’s meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, commissioners reviewed a rehabilitation case at 1601 Brackenridge St. The home, which was built in 1915, was first inhabited by William and Lettie Webster Davis, two teachers at the Texas School for the Deaf. According to city documents, the couple taught “during a time of great […]
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Demolition proposal receives pushback from Tarrytown residents, commission delays decision
A demolition request for a 1938 home received a surprising amount of pushback from community members at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission. The home at 2803 Bonnie Road was first constructed for Frank D. and Ollie Lloyd, a couple who moved around Austin a few times throughout the 20th century. According […]
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Former Threadgill home on its way to historic designation
Commissioners at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission voted to advance the historic designation process for 4310 Rosedale Ave., the former home of Kenneth and Mildred Threadgill. Kenneth Threadgill, an Austin-based country musician who collaborated with national figures like Jimmie Rodgers, lived at the home from 1945 to the mid-1980s. Threadgill operated […]
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Historic Landmark Commission delays log cabin relocation decision
Last month, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a proposal to deconstruct and relocate a log cabin located at 5613 Patton Ranch Road. The cabin is on property owned by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, a K-12 private school. The organization is looking to relocate the building to Pioneer Farms, a self-styled “living history museum” that sits […]
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Landmark commission approves former Barton Springs florist shop for demolition
The building at 605 Barton Springs Road has been home to McPhail’s Florist, Austin’s most prominent florist, for decades. But the 92-year-old building may soon be demolished. The flower shop, which ceased operations in 2018, has become – at least unofficially – a historic part of Barton Springs Road. Longtime residents will recognize the iconic […]
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Landmark commission denies Congress building owner’s request for mural
Last month, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a proposal to install an eye-catching, soccer-themed mural at 506 Congress Ave. The mural, which would have been completed by the artist Ruben Sánchez, was noteworthy because it would be located near the Robinson-Rosner Building and the Scarbrough Building in the Congress Avenue Historic District. At the time, […]
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Historic designation recommended for Delta Kappa Gamma HQ, against owner’s wishes
The Delta Kappa Gamma building at 416 W. 12th St. could be on its way to a historic designation, which, given the home’s long history as headquarters of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, may come as no surprise. Founded on the University of Texas campus in 1929, DKG was created, according to the organization, […]
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Council grants historic zoning to Baker School and parking lots
City Council has granted historic zoning to the Baker School property – parking lots and all. No one debated approving the historic landmark designation for the school itself, but the request to include the surrounding parking lots in the variance proved controversial. “I don’t think we should be preserving parking lots,” Council Member Jimmy Flannigan said. […]
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Landmark commission ‘reluctantly’ recommends demolition of stone cottage
Members of the Bouldin Creek community are saying goodbye to a stone cottage some residents believed was emblematic of Austin culture. Citing its lack of historical significance, Historic Landmark commissioners reluctantly upheld a motion to demolish the 83-year-old house at 910 W. Elizabeth St. Three members of the community attended the meeting on Nov. 16 […]