National Register Lists 8 Buildings, 2 Districts
Tyler Morning Telegraph - Sunday,October 27, 2002
By LAURA JETT KRANTZ, Staff Writer
More of Tyler's historic past will be preserved through the addition of eight buildings and three districts to the National Register of Historic Places.
"This is the nation's highest honor as far as preservation," said Jane Chilcote, Historic Tyler executive director. "We hope it will make people realize what historic treasures we have right here. And by preserving Tyler's central business district, it reinforces the preservation ethic and calls attention to the significance of these buildings."
The Texas Historical Commission assisted with the nomination of these resources for inclusion in the National Register in recognition of their importance to the history of the Rose City. Recognized for their architectural and historical significance, the buildings and districts join other sites in Smith County and around the state with National Register status.
The 11 nominations were prepared during 2001 and listed during June, August and September. The listed properties include the Blackstone Building, Crescent Laundry, Elks Club Building, Jenkins-Harvey Super Service Station, Moore Grocery Building, People's National Bank Building, Tyler Grocery Building and the Williams-Anderson House. The new historic districts are the Donnybrook Duplex Residential Historic District, East Ferguson Residential Historic District and the Short-Line Residential Historic District.
The listed commercial buildings are among the last remaining pre-1950 business buildings in Tyler to retain their historic integrity, Austin-based architectural historian Diane Williams said.
"They are significant for their architectural form and their relationship to community development," she said. "The Williams-Anderson House is one of the oldest and best preserved dwellings associated with Tyler's African-American community and is significant for its architecture and its relationship to the development of African-American neighborhoods in Tyler in the early 20th century."
Interest in nominating the eight buildings and three districts in the National Register developed after the 1999 listing of the Charnwood Residential Historic District. Efforts to list Charnwood neighborhood began in 1995, when Ms. Williams conducted a historic resources survey in what is now the district. As part of a four-year survey project funded by the city of Tyler, Historic Tyler Inc., the Texas Historical Commission and private donations, the Charnwood neighborhood, the Azalea District, many individual properties and other potential districts were identified as candidates for the National Register.
"After listing the Charnwood district, other neighborhoods and individual property owners expressed interest in National Register designation," Ms. Williams said.
A group of seven downtown commercial buildings, the Williams-Anderson House and the three residential districts were selected for nomination based on their architectural integrity and significance to the growth and development of Tyler during the first 50 years of the 20th century. Ms. Williams prepared the National Register nominations in 2001 with funding supplied by the city of Tyler, the Texas Historical Commission's Certified Local Government grant program, the East Texas Communities Foundation, and Harry Leatherwood, who owns the Moore Grocery Co. Building.
"It took a lot of research - about 14 to 15 months," Ms. Williams said. "It's a long, involved process accomplished through documentation of a building, its integrity, archival research and how it has changed over time. It all has to be researched, and it can be difficult to find some of the documentation.
"Basically, you try to unravel the story to see how the building came to be as it is."
Many owners provided research materials and photographs. However, most of the research was conducted using records in Tyler, including materials at the Smith County Courthouse, the Smith County Historical Society Archives, the Tyler Public Library and the Smith County Title Co. as well as interviews. Ms. Williams carried out additional research at various repositories in Austin.
In January, the 11 nominations were considered by the Texas Historical Commission's State Board of Review and all were approved under strict criteria. The nominations were then sent to the Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., where they were again reviewed and finally listed during the summer of 2002.
Ms. Williams said it is an honorary designation and there are no restrictions associated with the listing. She also said being listed on the National Register can be a way to attract tourists who travel the country in search of historic buildings to view.
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic and archaeological resources. The National Register includes more than 2,000 listings in Texas.
Listing affords properties a measure of protection from the possible impact of federally funded projects, as well as technical expertise and grant funds to facilitate restoration and preservation.
"Listing in the National Register follows a tremendous amount of preparation," said THC Executive Director Larry Oaks. "Many individuals contribute to the nomination of these properties, including the owners, local preservation organizations, our staff and our professional review board. The citizens of Tyler can be proud of this accomplishment."
Other Tyler properties currently listed in the National Register include: the Goodman-LeGrand House, Ramey-Grainger House, Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House, Carnegie Library, John B. and Ketura Douglas House, Smith County Jail, Marvin United Methodist Church, and Bellwood Dam.
A nomination for the Azalea Residential Historic District was completed in July 2002 and is now undergoing review by the Texas Historical Commission. A district nomination for the area located between Front Street, South Broadway, West Dobbs Street and Palace Avenue is being prepared.
The Texas Historical Commission, the state agency for historic preservation, administers a variety of programs to preserve the archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas.
Eight Tyler buildings and three historic districts were added to the National Register of Historic Places this summer.
The nominations, prepared during 2001, contained information gathered through extensive research. The properties are:
1. The Blackstone Building, 315 N. Broadway; constructed in 1938 from plans attributed to Fort Worth architect Preston M. Geren, the six-story Blackstone Building is one of two Art Deco-style office buildings in Tyler. Conceived and financed by Tyler businessman Edmond P. McKenna and his associates to serve Tyler's growing need for office space during the early years of the East Texas oil boom, the building housed oil companies, geologists, attorneys, engineers, insurance companies and wholesale grocery firms. It was also the location for the Union Bus Terminal from 1938 until the early 1950s.
2. The Crescent Laundry, 312-320 E. Ferguson; The Crescent Laundry contains two primary buildings constructed in 1927 and 1928 to serve the needs of the laundry's growing client base during one of Tyler's most prosperous eras. A third, existing building constructed about 1935 was added to the complex by 1951. Tyler architect Roy T. Nunamaker designed the signature one-story, domed Moorish Revival-style dry cleaning building with its crescent moon tile detain in 1928, creating the city's only known example of the Exotic Revival style. Financed by laundry owner Walter P. Jones Sr. and his partners, the Crescent Laundry served residential and industrial customers on this site from 1927 until it closed in 2000.
3. Elks Lodge Building, 202 S. Broadway; constructed in 1949 from plans drawn by prominent Tyler architect Carl A. Gregory, the three-story Elks Club is the oldest known International Style building in Tyler. Financed by members of the Tyler lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the upper two floors of the building served lodge members and the community as a place for meetings and social gatherings, while the ground floor provided retail space.
4. Jenkins-Harvey Service Station and Garage, 124 S. College; this structure was built in 1929 to serve a growing number of motorists during one of Tyler's most prosperous eras. Tyler architect James P. Baugh designed the Art Deco-style building with its stylized foliate designs at the cornice level. The building was financed by businessman and Judge Samuel A. Lindsey.
5. Moore Grocery Co.-Sledge Manufacturing Co., 408 N. Broadway; constructed around 1912 from plans drawn by an unknown designer, this two- to five-story building is one of two intact Commercial Style warehouse buildings in Tyler. Conceived and financed by Tyler businessman and philanthropist Thomas E. Swann during a period of sustained community growth supported by countywide agricultural success, commerce and transportation of farm and manufactured products, the building initially served as a warehouse for Swann Furniture Co. and provided lease space in the rear, two-story section.
6. People's National Bank Building, 102 N. College Ave.; constructed in 1932 from plans drawn by well-known Houston architect Alfred C. Finn and enlarged in 1936, the 15-story building is one of two Art Deco-style office buildings in Tyler.
It was conceived and financed by Tyler businessman Samuel A. Lindsey to serve Tyler growing need for office space during the early years of the East Texas oil boom. It housed oil companies, geologists, attorneys, engineers, insurance companies and became the city's most prestigious business address during the 1930s and 1940s.
7. Tyler Grocery Co.-William Cameron Co. Building, 416 N. Broadway; built between 1912 and 1917 from plans by an unknown designer, the one- to two-story building is one of two intact Commercial Style warehouse buildings in Tyler.
Conceived and financed by Tyler businessman and philanthropist Thomas E. Swann during a period of economic growth, the building initially served as a warehouse for the Tyler Mattress Company. Between 1928 and 1938, a one-story addition was constructed at the rear of the building.
8. Williams-Anderson House, 1313 W. Claude St.; built around 1900, this home is one of the oldest and best preserved dwellings associated with Tyler's African-American community. It is significant for its architecture and its relationship to the development of African-American neighborhoods in Tyler in the early 20th century.
9. Donnybrook Duplex Residential Historic District; this district is a development of 18 duplexes built in 1947 and 1948. These structures represent important changes in design and construction of housing in the post-World War II period and are an unusual concentration of nearly identical multi-family rental housing in south Tyler.
10. East Ferguson Street Residential Historic District; this district is a group of six nearly identical wood frame bungalows built in 1926-1927 and 1930 for working class residents. Used as rental housing, they are located just east of downtown and south of the railyards, where most of the residents worked.
11. Short-Line Residential Historic District; this district is west of downtown and is a development of 11 nearly identical residences constructed as rental housing for African-American citizens in two phases, one about 1930 and the other about 1935. After World War II, these dwellings were offered for sale to the families who had rented them for many years. These dwellings remain the best-preserved portion of a larger African-American neighborhood.
Owners of properties listed in the National Register who wish to order National Register plaques may request a form by contacting the History Programs Division at (512) 463-5853.
