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Preservation Dallas
2922 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204
214-821-3290
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January 2020 News & Updates
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Submit a Nomination for the
2020 Preservation Achievement Awards
by January 24th!
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Have you, or someone you know, completed an outstanding preservation project that deserves recognition? Well then, nominate it for the 2020 Awards! Or, let us know about the project and we will pursue a nomination.
The 21st annual Preservation Achievement Awards will be held in May during National Preservation Month.
Award nominations are being accepted for:
- Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a residential historic building
- Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a commercial, institutional, or mixed-use building
- Rehabilitation of a Historic Landscape, Park or other Historic Resource
- New Construction/Infill in a historic neighborhood which may include an addition directly attached to a building, or an entirely new building (infill) which enhances the historic nature of the original building, streetscape or urban environment.
To see past Awards recipients, Honoree videos, photography slideshows and for more information, visit our
Awards page.
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Documentary Screening:
Speak my Name and I Shall Live Again
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Tuesday, February 18
Ervay Theater
1707 S. Ervay
6:00 pm Reception
6:45 Screening
Many cultures believe people have three deaths. When they pass away, when they are buried and when their name is spoken for the last time. Watch as lost ancestors are found and the forgotten are remembered. Sacramento resident Sharon Styles explores the history of her family and a once-forgotten Bull Hill Cemetery in Marlin in Falls County. Experience Sharon's emotional journey to find her roots and seek answers about her family's place in American history. To find out more about the film go
here.
The documentary is presented by The Summerlee Foundation in partnership with Dallas Heritage Village, Dallas Historical Society, Remembering Black Dallas, Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture and Preservation Dallas.
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A Cemetery With a Future As Well As a Past
By Susanne Starling
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Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery are revitalizing an historic cemetery in the Forest Hills neighborhood of East Dallas. Long neglected, Ferris Cemetery, located at the corner of St. Francis Ave. and San Leandro Dr., was an active cemetery from 1847 to 1901. Pioneer Dallas settlers from the Ferris, Dye, Chenault, Sage, Tucker and Tabor families are buried there. One of the last burials was Rev. R.F. Taylor, a Baptist minister who owned property where the Arboretum is now located.
Over the years, the cemetery fell into disrepair, tombstones were vandalized, and a dense thicket of vegetation overtook the site. In the 1980’s, a Texas Historic Marker was placed by the Dallas County Historical Commission, but the cemetery continued to be an eyesore.
Recently, volunteers and neighbors began clearing invasive species from the Ferris Cemetery, encouraging emergence of native plants and grasses common to the Blackland Prairie. A master plan calls for creation of a certified wildlife and butterfly way station with pathways giving access to a safe, welcoming haven where visitors can enjoy a natural habitat. Stone benches, bird and bat houses, signage identify plants, and a water source will be added.
As enthusiasm for the restoration grew, a non-profit organization emerged. Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery was endorsed by Preservation Dallas, Dallas County Pioneers Association, Texas Conservation Alliance, Communities Foundation of Texas (fiscal sponsor until tax-exempt status is attained), and other historical and environmental groups. In October, neighbors from Forest Hills, descendants of families buried in the cemetery, and other supporters gathered for a successful fundraiser which included a tour of the cemetery, an update on progress, and seeding of wildflowers in the spring.
An educational component to the project will be initiated by the Friends group this year. Historical and archaeological research will involve local colleges and Remembering Black Dallas with a view to enhance knowledge of those buried there. Presently only about 35 of the over 100 persons buried are known. Descendants will be interviewed on family histories. Knowledge gained will be posted on the website
here. Also, classes and field trips for students of nearby elementary schools are to be organized. These classes, led by experts in their fields, will be videotaped and made available to Dallas public libraries.
Cemeteries are a window on Texas past, tangible reminders of settlement patterns, historic events, family relationships, and culture. More than 14,000 Texas cemeteries have been abandoned or neglected according to the Texas Historical Commission. By tying historical, environmental, and educational elements together, the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery intend to transform an abandoned cemetery into a richly usable space. Ferris Cemetery now has a future as well as a past.
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William Thompson Exhibit continues at
the Wilson House Until the end of January
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If you didn't get a chance to see the exhibit of the impressive work of William James Thompson’s Depression era architectural drawings of Dallas area landmarks during the Holiday Party make sure to stop by the Wilson House to see it before the end of January.
Thompson worked for Texas Power and Light in their construction and design department.. Due to the Depression, the company put him on a half time basis and in his time off, he took to sketching and hit the streets - his mission was to document Dallas. He was never commissioned, but his eye for detail and passion for Texas history led to a collection of beautiful vignettes from a long time ago, some of which are now long gone.
The Thompson family donated the collection to the Dallas Public Library who has generously let us exhibit the sketches in the Wilson House before they return to the library to be scanned and properly archived. We thank the family for sharing these incredibly detailed sketches with us and our Preservation Dallas members.
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Corporate Partner Highlight
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Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) is a global firm of engineers, architects, and materials scientists that specialize in the investigation, analysis, testing, and design of repairs for historic and contemporary structures. Since the firm's founding more than sixty years ago, WJE has focused on delivering practical, innovative, and technically sound solutions across all areas of new and existing construction. Their specialists bring the collective experience gained from conducting more than 125,000 investigations worldwide to every construction challenge. With global capabilities, WJE can respond quickly to assignments around the world. WJE combines state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facilities, global offices, and knowledge sharing systems to provide solutions for the built world. For more information, please visit
WJE.com
. A few of their more recognizable projects are highlighted here.
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Changes to Landmarking Procedures for Initiation, Designation and Appeals – Last week at City Council, the proposed changes to the ordinance on how sites and districts are landmarked in Dallas and the process to appeal designations were approved. The designation process is more rigorous now and provides for more public input at the front end through a newly created public meeting to discuss creating a landmark district or expanding one. It also requires a new “Statement of Intent” or report before that meeting which specifies the historic significance of the district, purpose of designation, and more. The new process also requires three Landmark Commission members, as opposed to one before, to request a district creation or district expansion be placed on the agenda for the initiation of the designation process along with the Commissioners having to prepare the aforementioned Statement of Intent to provide justification for the action. The requirements for initiating the designation process for a single site still only require one Landmark Commissioner but also require the new Statement of Intent. Tweaks were also made to the appeals process regarding timing for appeals and what information is presented to City Council during the appeals process.
Kalita Humphreys Theater – The Steering Committee for the Master Plan update will be interviewing consultants next week to update the Master Plan and will select one of those by the end of the month. The chosen firm will start engaging the public in February with the update to be completed by the end of 2020.
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Director's Letter
David Preziosi
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Welcome to the 2020’s! I hope that the new decade and year has started off well for everyone. It has been busy for us already with working on events for the year and advocacy issues.
Our events committee has already met this year to work on planning for our spring events, including the Preservation Achievement Awards in May. Make sure to get any nominations in by next Friday! We are hoping to get a bunch for the jury to review early next month. We will also continue to partner on events this year including the film screening next month mentioned above and will resume our InTown Outings next month. We are getting those lined up, including a couple of special ones this spring. Don’t forget about the
Dallas Legacies History Conference
on January 25
th
with some great topics and speakers this year focusing on disasters. And if you are interested in more conferencing there is the
Real Places Conference
coming up at the end of the month in Austin. It is a wonderful conference with great sessions.
Advocacy for 2020 kicked off with a bang with the proposed changes to the Landmark designation and appeals process being heard at the first City Council meeting of the year last week. I also attended a nearly full day meeting last week with the Tenth Street neighborhood, the legal team helping them with their lawsuit against the city over the court ordered demolitions, and representatives from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. At the meeting we discussed many of the issues the neighborhood is facing and applying for a grant from the
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
of the National Trust to help them try and solve some of those issues. I also attended the Walnut Hill Homeowners Association meeting regarding the three tornado damaged schools, including the Walnut Hill Elementary School and Thomas Jefferson High School, both historic. DISD will be approving architects next week at their board meeting who will look at options for the schools. Based on the discussion last night it looks like the elementary school will be moved to a K-8 campus on the current campus of Cary Middle School, which was completely destroyed by the tornado, and the damaged Thomas Jefferson High School. It hasn’t been decided yet what will happen with the damaged Walnut Hill Elementary School building. Speaking of DISD, we will also be gearing up for the issue of the bond and replacement of 17 historic schools with new ones as part of the bond package.
And lastly, just a scary thought for everyone out there with us moving into a new decade. Now that it is 2020, structures built in 1970 are now considered historic! Yes, with them now fifty years old they are officially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. So look out its time to start saving shag carpet, avocado and gold appliances, and funky décor with orange, yellow, red, and brown color schemes!
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The 21st Annual Legacies Dallas History Conference
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Saturday, January 25, 2020
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, Seventh Floor
The 2020 Legacies Dallas History Conference theme this year will be – DISASTERS: Natural & Man-made featuring a range of speakers. Sessions will include:
- Deadly Dallas Explosions: More Unfortunate Incidents, Deplorable Mayhem, and Grisly Fatalities at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
- Images of Disaster: Dallas, Texas
- Like a Bomb Went Off: The 1946 Baker Hotel Explosion
- Wrestling with Fire: Destruction and Resurrection of Dallas’s Sportatorium
- Terror from the Sky: The Dallas Tornado of 1957
More information and registration can be found
here
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Real Places 2020 Conference
Hosted by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, the fourth annual Real Places Conference is being presented by Phoenix I Restoration & Construction. The conference provides an opportunity for preservationists and officials to network and learn with others from across the state as well as Texas Historical Commission staff, Texas Heritage Trail Regions, and other partner agencies.
In addition to the regular conference
schedule
, Real Places 2020 will offer pre-conference workshops and tours. Continuing education credits for architects and planners will be offered. To find out more or to register go
here
.
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Did you know that when you shop for the holidays at AmazonSmile, they donate to Preservation Dallas? Click on the logo above to get started!
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Preservation Dallas participates in the Tom Thumb Good Neighbor program. Link our Good Neighbor number to your Tom Thumb loyalty card and a percentage of your purchases will be credited towards us! Our number is 11352.
Enroll your card here!
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Preservation Dallas participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Enroll your Kroger Plus card with Preservation Dallas as the benefactor. Our number is TX617.
Enroll your card here!
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Please Welcome our New Members!
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Stewart
Americo Cascella
Sustainer
Anna Mod
Individual
Clyde Mackey
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Thank you to the following members for renewing!
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Will Hartnett
Doug & Karrison S Nichols
Victor Kralisz
David Wolf Landrum
Elaine Dilbeck MacIntire
Melissa O'Brien
Courtney Spellicy
Charles L & Emily Williams
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This newsletter is sent to all current and past members, and those interested in preservation in Dallas. To become a member or to renew or upgrade your membership, please click below.
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Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation
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Preservation Dallas | 2922 Swiss Avenue | Dallas TX 752518
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