C.3.0 - NRD-2020-0006 -1517 Murray Ln.pdf — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APRIL 27, 2020 NRD-2020-0006 1517 MURRAY LANE C.3 - 1 OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT PROPOSAL Construct a two-story rear addition to a contributing house; replace front porch columns, roof shingles, door, and windows; and cover existing siding with new siding. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS 1) Replace wood porch columns with columns of a more modern design. 2) Cover existing wood siding with new shiplap and paint. 3) Replace green scalloped roof shingles with gray shingles of unspecified new shape/profile. 4) Construct a new two-story addition to the rear of the house. The addition will be set back beyond the ridge line. It will be clad in aluminum siding with fixed single-pane glass windows. The proposed addition will have a flat roof and roof deck, with minimal fenestration on the east and west sides and a rear elevation with full-height glass windows. A covered carport connects the first-floor garage to the proposed living space. 5) Replace door and windows at main elevation. 6) Remove sconces at main elevation. 7) Remove door trim at main elevation. RESEARCH The house at 1517 Murray Lane was constructed in 1927-28 by William H. and Delle M. Morley. Morley was the son of W.J. Morley, proprietor of Morley Brothers Druggists, the oldest continuously-operating pharmacy and wholesale drug manufacturer in Austin at the time. W.J. Morley and his brother famously employed author Sidney Porter (pseudonym O. Henry), in the latter half of the 19th century. The Morley Brothers Building at 209 East 6th Street is a City of Austin Landmark. S.K. Morley’s house at 510 Baylor Street is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is also an Austin landmark. S.K. Morley, William H. Morley’s uncle, does not appear to be associated with the Morley drug manufacturing business after the sale of the 6th Street drugstore in the early 1930s. However, William H. Morley continued to run the drug manufacturing and wholesale business from his home at 1517 Murray Lane. Morley’s products were sold under multiple manufacturer names, including Cactus Line Products, Morley Drug Company, and W.H. Morley Wholesale. After his death in 1948, William Morley’s widow Delle Mayne Morley continued to live in the home, adding on to the main structure and renting out the former manufacturing facility to tenants. Delle Morley sold the house in 1961, and it was occupied by a series of short-term owners and renters until at least 1992. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are used to evaluate new construction projects in National Register historic districts. Applicable standards include: 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. Alterations to the historic building include replacement of historic wood columns, windows, and door; shingle replacement; and covering the original siding with shiplap. Windows will match existing, while the new siding profile may not be compatible with the historic structure. Depending on degree of articulation in new design, modern columns may be incompatible as well. Removal of fixtures and door trim at main elevation is not in keeping with the Standards.  C.3 - 2 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. The proposed addition will remove a portion of the original house, as well as a 1948 addition. The proposed addition is differentiated from the historic structure by its contemporary roofline, materials, integrated garage, and fenestration patterns. Its size and scale render it only slightly visible from the street; however, its fenestration and flat roof are not compatible with the existing building. 10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. If the addition were removed in the future, the historic house’s façade in front of the ridgeline would remain intact; however, the rear of the building would need substantial repairs. STAFF COMMENTS The house contributes to the Old West Austin National Register Historic District. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). The property may demonstrate significance according to City Code: a. Architecture. The house is constructed with Colonial Revival- and Craftsman-style influences. b. Historical association. The house is associated with William H. Morley, long-term Austin drug manufacturer and business owner. While S.K. Morley’s house is landmarked and individually listed on the National Register, there is no landmarked house associated with either W.J. or W.H. Morley. However, the Grove Drug Store, owned by the Morley family and briefly run by W.H. Morley, is a City landmark. c. Archaeology. The house was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The house does not possess a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, the neighborhood, or a particular demographic group. e. Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to the city. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Comment on and release the permit with the following recommendations upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package: Encourage the applicant to revise the addition so that it removes a minimum of historic fabric and cannot be seen from the street, and to repair, retrofit, and retain original windows, doors, and columns. Note: Given the remote meeting's technological and time limits, necessitated by the current public health crisis, staff offers the case for consent release. This does not connote endorsement of the proposed project, as this case would ordinarily be offered for discussion, allowing commissioners the opportunity to provide more extensive advisory recommendations.  LOCATION MAP C.3 - 3  PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos C.3 - 4  C.3 - 5 Occupancy History City Directory Research, Austin History Center, March 2020 Source: Historic review application, 2020 1992 1985- 86 1981 1977 1973 1968 1965 Laurie T. Miesch, renter Interior decorator Laurie T. Miesch, renter Interior decorator No return Tom Fairey, renter Employee, John Deere Leah B. Andrews, owner Retired Leah B. Andrews, owner Retired Richard D. Harris, renter Trucker The directory indicates that Harris is a new resident. Rear: James H. Andrews, renter Retired 1962 Leah B. Andrews, owner Rear: James W. Hall, renter 1959 Mrs. Delle M. Morley, owner (wid. W.H.) Rear: Mrs. Eloise Weatherford, renter Employee, State Employment Bureau Mrs. Delle M. Morley, owner (wid. W.H.) Mrs. Delle M. Morley, owner (wid. W.H.) Mrs. Delle M. Morley, owner (wid. W.H.) William H. and Delle Morley, owners Morley Drug Company 1955 1952 1949 1947 Rear: Morley Drug Company, medicine manufacturers 1944- 45 William H. and Delle Morley, owners Morley Drug Company Rear: Morley Drug Company, medicine manufacturers 1941 William H. and Delle Morley, owners Morley Drug Company  1939 1937 1935 1932- 33 1929 C.3 - 6 Rear: Morley Drug Company, medicine manufacturers Note: The house is listed as 1317 Murray Lane in 1941 and earlier directories. William H. and Delle Morley, owners Medicine manufacturers William H. and Delle Morley, owners Proprietor; Morley Drug Company, 1717-19 East 6th Street; Cactus Line Product Company and W.H. Morley Wholesale Drugs, 1815-19 East 6th Street William H. and Delle Morley, owners Proprietor, Cactus Line Product Company William H. and Delle Morley, owners Proprietor, Morley Drug Company; President, Austin Wholesale Drug Company William H. and Delle Morley, owners Proprietor: Morley Drug Company, 209 East 6th Street 1927 Address not listed. Morley family listed at 304 West 9th Street. Biographical Information The Austin Statesman: Apr 5, 1948 and Oct 1, 1951  C.3 - 7 The Austin Statesman: Jun 10, 1924  C.3 - 8 The Austin Statesman: Aug 12, 1931 The Austin Statesman: Dec 16, 1933  C.3 - 9 1976 staff report materials for Morley Brothers Drug Store zoning case  C.3 - 10 The Austin American Statesman: Oct 29, 1977 Lotions, Potions, and Deadly Elixirs: Frontier Medicine in the American West by Wayne Bethard, p. 197 Permits Building permit for apartment (1-27-49) and addition/remodel (12-22-71)