Preservation News and Issues

The 2008 List of Dallas’
11 Most Endangered Historic Places

STATLER HILTON HOTEL
Location: 1914 Commerce Street
Threat: Development Pressure

The Statler Hilton Hotel is located at 1914 Commerce Street in the eastern end of downtown Dallas. Completed in 1956 at a cost of $16,000,000, the Statler was the first major hotel built in Dallas in nearly three decades and the largest convention facility built in the South. It stands 19 stories high and included 1,001 guest rooms and a ballroom that could accommodate more than 2,000. The Statler played an important role establishing Dallas as a business center for the Southwest. It was the largest hotel in the Southwest, and helped attract convention business to Dallas for many years.

William Tabler of New York designed the Y-shaped building that was hailed as the first glass and metal hotel in the nation. The hotel’s other structural innovations included a flat-slab structural system which greatly reduced the number of columns in the hotel’s large reception areas allowing for grand, uninterrupted spaces. It also featured an innovative thin-skinned curtain wall construction; one of the first buildings in the nation to do so. According to Dallas’ AIA Guide to Dallas, the Statler and next door’s former Dallas Public Library, designed by George Dahl in 1953, make-up the “best block of 1950s architecture in the city.” It is part of the National Register’s Downtown Dallas Commercial Historic District.

Today, the building sits vacant. A challenge in attracting developers is lack of parking. Located on an increasingly attractive piece of real estate, the Statler Hilton faces increasing development pressure. City of Dallas landmark protection and financial incentives are needed to ensure the successful redevelopment of this iconic block of Mid-Century Modern architecture.

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Location: 2551 Elm Street
Threat: Neglect

The Knights of Pythias, also known as the Union Bankers Building, is Deep Ellum’s most significant historic building. Designed in 1916 by William Sidney Pittman, Dallas’ first African-American architect, the Knights of Pythias was an important social and commercial center for the African-American community in Dallas. The building is a City of Dallas historic landmark, which affords it protection from demolition as well as potential historic preservation tax incentives. Still, the Knights of Pythias sits vacant and unused. While the owners have recently taken steps to better secure the building, this cultural landmark should be put back into use. We urge the owners to either sell the building or take steps to sensitively restore this exceptionally significant landmark.

OLD DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL/ CROZIER TECH
Location: 2214 Bryan
Threat: Neglect

The city’s oldest high school building (1907; 1911) again returns to the 2008 list. Dallas High School was the subject of six years of litigation between the property owner and the City of Dallas. Concerned citizens and the high school alumni fought to designate the building a local historic landmark. While the building is legally protected from the wrecking ball, the building sits vacant with no plans for redevelopment. Until a new owner is in place the building continues to be threatened. The owners are encouraged to sell the building so that it may once again be a viable, attractive building for Dallas.

Photo Title: Crozier Tech
Credit: Preservation Dallas

TENTH STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
Location: 8th, Claredon, and I-35
Threat: Neglect and Deterioration

Accolades to Council Member Carolyn Davis for support of Tenth Street, but cooperation will be the key to saving this historic district, the oldest relatively intact freedmen’s town in Dallas. As a starter neighborhood for African Americans soon after Emancipation, most of the remaining historic houses were built between 1890 and the early 1940s in various folk designs: shotgun, double shotgun, bungalow, and camel back. Since its designation in 1993, lack of financial resources, neglect, code violations, crime, vacant lots, lack of owner occupied homes and development pressures have all surrounded this district. However, in the last year, city bond money has provided new sidewalks, curbs and drainage, several homes have been renovated and Councilmember Davis has provided leadership. To save this neighborhood, it will take combined, continuing efforts of the neighborhood, preservationists, developers, the City of Dallas, and political leaders.

Dallas has some of the best examples of Mid-Century Modern Architecture (commercial and residential) in the country. The strength of this style in Dallas is due to the tremendous growth in city during the 1950's and 1960's. Examples of works by noted architects such as George Dahl, Howard Meyer, Scott Lyons, Ralph Merrill, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Philip Johnson, Edward Durrell Stone, and Frank Lloyd Wright enrich our city’s neighborhoods as well as its urban core. Although Dallas is receiving national attention and admiration for its Mid-Century buildings, the recent past is not as always valued locally. The perception of these buildings as being “dated” is what typically endangers these properties. Buildings lost: 2505 Turtle Creek Blvd - a small office building designed by Harwood K. Smith and built in 1959; the Morris Zale home, designed by Howard Meyer and built in 1959; the Coca Cola Bottling Plant at 6011 Lemmon Ave; and the 1964 built Kip's Big Boy Restaurant at Northwest Highway and Hillcrest. Successes: the Republic Bank Tower (now Gables Republic) designed by Harrison & Abramovitz and built in 1955; the Fidelity Union Life Towers designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick and built in 1952 and 1959 (now Mosaic Apartments); the Meadows Building on Central Expressway (1955); 3525 Turtle Creek designed by Howard Meyer and built in 1956.

As noted earlier two of the best examples of Mid-Century Modern in Dallas - the Statler Hilton and the former Dallas Public Library are under serious threat. Developers should consider the architectural value of these properties and explore rehabilitation through National, State, and local historic preservation-based tax incentives.

The Luna Tortilla Factory, built in the Spanish Eclectic-style in 1938, is the last remaining business from little Mexico, Dallas’s earliest Hispanic neighborhood. The property is also historic for its association with Luna family and the family’s matriarch, Maria Luna. The building, a City of Dallas Landmark, faces increasing pressure from the development occurring in the immediate area and a sharp rise in property values. The combination of these forces could imperil the existence of this cultural landmark. Currently, the building is in good condition but is vacant and for sale. Recent plans for development of the property into a restaurant did not materialize and the land the building sits on has substantially increased in value. In this and similar cases, Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) appraises the land at a much higher value than the historic structure. It becomes harder and harder for the building to produce the income needed to generate a profit and pay the rising property taxes.

The Little Mexico neighborhood is fast disappearing with only a few physical reminders left—Pike Park, Luna Tortilla Factory, St. Ann’s, Little Mexico Public Housing (greatly altered). To lose this building would be losing the soul of the neighborhood. The tax appraisal on this and other historic properties needs to reflect the historic designation and the development limitations of the site as a consequence of its historical status.

Unlike most major cities in Texas, Dallas retains many of its historic streetcar stops. These small, one-story, brick retails stores were built along the streetcar routes at prominent stops. Streetcars were Dallas’ main mode of transportation from the late 1800s through the 1930s, and while streetcar travel has long since disappeared, these charming brick buildings survive. Examples are found in historic South Dallas, Oak Cliff, and Old East Dallas such as the unusual crescent-shaped shops at the southeast corner of Swiss Avenue and Hall Street where the infamous Bonnie Parker reportedly waited tables.

Streetcar retails shops, or trolley stops as they are sometimes called, are located in or near historic residential neighborhoods. They provide a sense of place and context to Dallas’ early communities. Successful and sensitive redevelopment of these commercial buildings can lead to the kind of urban, walkable neighborhoods Dallas seeks. Think of Bishop Arts District as a leading example. Nevertheless, Dallas’ streetcar shops are largely unprotected, and often do not meet existing parking standards. Many are demolished because of their non-conforming use. Documentation and incentives are needed to encourage property owners to keep these buildings as much needed supporting infrastructure for our historic neighborhoods.

For a second year in a row, the Deep Ellum area is listed as endangered. Deep Ellum was the center for Texas blues and jazz in the 1920s and 30s and remains the city’s largest collection of early 20th century commercial storefronts. The closing of multiple businesses in recent years, increased development pressure spurred by the construction of the new Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail station, and no city historic overlay in place, has Deep Ellum ripe for demolition. Currently zoning allows for much larger buildings as much as 15-stories tall to replace the 1 and 2-story buildings that characterize much of the area. Insensitive alterations not in keeping with the historic character of properties also threaten to eat away at the historic look of the area. While historic district designations have been drafted, property owners have declined designation. Property owners are encouraged to reinitiate historical designation which could be accomplished in several different ways including a non contiguous historic district made up of multiple properties.

The loss of such buildings as 2505 Turtle Creek Blvd and the 85-year old Haskell Avenue YWCA building have prompted the question, how can the city create a demolition review process for historically significant properties? Texas cities like San Antonio and Fort Worth have procedures in place that allow city preservation staff to review demolition applications for historic-age resources or properties recorded on local lists as having historic merit. The value of such a review allows knowledgeable city staff to consider the historical value of the property to its surroundings and the city. It also gives staff time to help the property owner explore alternatives to demolition and educate them of tax incentive programs that the property may qualify for. The City of Dallas Long Range Planning Division and city volunteers are already investigating possible solutions, but political support for such a review is necessary. Support for local landmark designation of highly significant properties is also needed since, in some cases, property owners object to historical designation or similar protection.

Built in 1915-17 as ‘Oak Cliff High School’, the school was renamed in 1935 in honor of W. H. Adamson, who had been principal at the original and current high school for 31 years. When constructed, Adamson was Dallas’ second high school; the other was Dallas High School (now known as Crozier Tech, in downtown Dallas; 1907). Additions to Adamson were made in 1919, 1938, 1955 and the latest addition in 2005 enlarged the school to its current size; it now serves 1,300 students.

Adamson was designed by William B. Ittner of St. Louis, Missouri. Ittner was nationally known for transforming American public school architecture by designing schools with light and ventilation in all classrooms, as well as providing modern plumbing and bath facilities to the same floor as the classrooms. Due to his innovations, Ittner designed schools in 29 states.

DISD has called for a ‘replacement school’ for Adamson in its 2008 Bond Program that recently was passed by Dallas voters. In an editorial in the Dallas Morning News based on information provided by DISD, Adamson was touted as the poster child of old, antiquated schools that ‘deserve a modern building’ that is to be constructed ‘around Adamson’s historic façade’. References have been made to structural and other deficiencies that are unsubstantiated or are easily corrected.

While it is clear that Adamson, like most of DISD schools – new as well as historic – require updating for technology and to correct deficiencies due to lack of or improper maintenance over the years, the solution is NOT to demolish this venerable and beloved school that is an important landmark to Oak Cliff and its history. A successful model exists of combining historic and new educational facilities within DISD – the recently completed Booker T. Washington High School. Such an approach of utilizing a rehabilitated historic Adamson school in its 1917/1919 configuration while retaining its newest 2005 addition with new construction (to replace the 1938 and 1955 additions) would provide both the adjacent neighborhood and DISD with a state-of-the-art high school that continues to be the pride of the neighborhood. Such a new building should be also designed to be compatible with and of a scale that reinforces (and does not overwhelm) the adjacent residential neighborhood.

Adamson High School, originally surrounded by a vibrant, single-family residential neighborhood of large Victorian homes, Craftsman bungalows and locally owned corner and streetcar retail shops, the neighborhood has declined with intrusions by large, multi-family buildings following WWII. Although the neighborhood has suffered from the loss of historic buildings and the introduction of larger, institutional buildings, many of its historic buildings remain. With proposed construction and additions to Adamson High School and the purchase of additional property for athletic fields, the opportunity for further destruction of the historic structures, the interruption of the residential street pattern, and the adverse impact on the quality of life is of great concern.

The solution to revitalize this historic neighborhood and prevent further deterioration is multi-fold with cooperation by DISD and the City of Dallas critical. Their joint efforts to provide new construction at the historic Adamson school as well as protect and re-vitalize the residential neighborhood could result in mutually beneficial improved school and neighborhood – which can only benefit the students and DISD in the future.

Preservation Dallas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate for the preservation and revitalization of Dallas’ historic buildings, neighborhoods, and places in order to enhance the vitality of our city.

For more information, please contact Preservation Dallas, 214-821-3290.