A.2 - Teer-Peterson House, 2408 Harris Boulevard — original pdf

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A.2-1 ZONING CHANGE REVIEW SHEET HLC DATE: April 27, 2020 PC DATE: CASE NUMBER: C14H-2020-0033 APPLICANT: Willy Fischler, owner HISTORIC NAME: Teer-Peterson House WATERSHED: Shoal Creek ADDRESS OF PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE: 2408 Harris Boulevard ZONING FROM: SF-3 to SF-3-H SUMMARY STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the proposed zoning change from single family residence (SF-3) district to single family residence – Historic Landmark (SF-3-H) combining district zoning. QUALIFICATIONS FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION: Architecture and historical associations. HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION ACTION: PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: DEPARTMENT COMMENTS: The house is beyond the bounds of the Comprehensive Cultural Resources Survey (1984), but was identified as contributing to the Old West Austin National Register Historic District. ACTION: PHONE: 974-6454 ORDINANCE NUMBER: CITY COUNCIL DATE: ORDINANCE READINGS: 1ST 2ND 3RD CASE MANAGER: Steve Sadowsky NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION: Pemberton Heights Neighborhood Association BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION: Architecture: One-story, L-plan, stone-veneered Tudor Revival house two steep front-facing gables, a prominent front-facing exterior stone chimney, a stuccoed gabled bay with false half- timbering containing the principal entry, and a combination of 9:9 and diamond-paned casement fenestration. There is an integral screened porch to the left of the principal block of the house. The house was designed by Charles H. Page, of the prominent Austin architectural firm of Page Brothers in 1930 and completed in 1933. Page designed a rear addition, known as the “Lodge” in 1935, and another addition designed by Austin architects Niggli & Gustafson was completed in 1945. There is a more modern gabled wood carport to the south (left) of the house. A.2 - 2 Historical Associations: The house was designed and built for former state representative and then-chair of the State Board of Control Claude D. Teer and his wife Clara. Teer lived in his home town of Granger until 1927, when he moved his family to Austin. Prior to their residence in this house, the Teer family lived in a rented house on W. 13th Street. The family moved in around 1934. The 1932- 33 city directory shows the family on W. 13th Street; by 1935, they lived at this Harris Boulevard address. Claude D. Teer was born in Arkansas in 1881 but lived as a young man in Granger, Texas. He was elected to the State House of Representatives from Granger in 1919 and served until 1927 with a position on the appropriations committee. While in the legislature, he was active in the Texas Committee on Prisons, part of a national group that advocated for prison reform to eliminate prisoner abuse, mismanagement, and promote greater accountability. Among the other prominent Texans serving on this Committee were anti-lynching advocate Jesse Daniel Ames, and women’s rights activist Jane Y. McCallum. Teer moved his family from Granger to Austin in 1927, when he began service as Secretary of the State Highway Department. In 1929, he was appointed to the State Board of Control, where he served, for many years as chairman, until his death in 1939. The State Board of Control was the agency in charge of state buildings and facilities, overseeing the Capitol, other state institutions, including orphanages, schools, hospitals, the State Cemetery, certain historical parks, and the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation in East Texas. The Board of Control was responsible for all the purchasing and contracting for service and maintenance at every state- owned facility under its jurisdiction, and was one of the largest agencies in state government. While in office, Teer oversaw aspects of the Texas Centennial Celebration in 1936, including interring the bodies of Texas heroes in the State Cemetery in Austin. He negotiated an arrangement to settle bank loans to the old age pension funds that the State Board of Control oversaw, and was able to prevent pension cuts of up to 1/3 of the monthly benefit to over 100,000 seniors. Teer oversaw the creation of the Texas State Sanitarium for Negroes, a tuberculosis hospital, at Kerrville that closed in 1949 when a new commission was created to oversee state A.2 - 3 medical facilities, and the Kerrville patients were transferred to the East Texas Tuberculosis Hospital in Tyler. Teer died tragically after being hit by a train in 1939. His widow Clara continued to live in this house until her death in 1977, but transferred the house in 1954 to her daughter and son-in-law, Anna Faye and Harry Peterson, who lived here until 1988. Harry Peterson began his career as the dairy and farm supervisor at the State Board of Control, but in 1937, established Hillcrest Farms, one of the largest and most-modern dairies in the region. Peterson sold the business in 1970. Claude D. Teer State legislature portrait News story on the election of Claude D. Teer as chairman of the State Board of Control Austin American-Statesman, January 7, 1930 A.2 - 4 A.2 - 5 News story on the death of Claude D. Teel Austin Statesman, August 28, 1939 A.2 - 6 News story on the death and funeral of Claude Teer Austin Statesman, August 29, 1939 A.2 - 7 TEER, CLARA WAYMAN (1885 ~ 1977). The following is an obituary for Clara Wayman Teer provided by then Weed-Corley Funeral Home of Austin. The obituary was likely published in the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday, June 30, 1977 two days after her death. "Clara Waymen Teer, 92, of 2408 Harris Boulevard, died in Austin Tuesday. She was a member of an early pioneer Central Texas family, coming here from Virginia in the early 1870's. She was the third child to be born in the town of Granger, Texas. Mrs. Teer was the widow of the late Claude D. Teer, who served the State of Texas as a member of the State Legislature and as chairman of the Board of Control. She had been a resident of Austin for 50 years. Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Thursday in the Weed-Corley Chapel with burial in the State Cemetery. Pallbearers will be E.B. Snead, Everette Kelly, John Donovan, John Caudill, Roderic Thomas, H.T. Hibler and Jim Martin. Survivors are her daughter, Mrs. Harry Peterson, Austin; 2 Granddaughters, Mrs. John Donovan, Austin and Mrs. John Caudill, Houston; 3 Great Grandsons, John, Peter and Michael Donovan, Austin; 1 Great Granddaughter, Anne Caudill, Houston. Memorial Contributions should be made to the Settlement Home or to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, Amarillo, Texas." Harry and Anna Faye Peterson (1954-1988) A.2 - 8 News story on the establishment and growth of Hillcrest Farms, once one of Austin’s largest Austin American-Statesman, October 18, 1935 dairies. A.2 - 9 A.2 - 10 Story on Hillcrest Farms Austin American-Statesman, May 15 1966 1951 photograph of Hillcrest Farms and its fleet of delivery trucks Originally established on Cameron Road, this photo shows the later Del Valle operations A.2 - 11 A.2 - 12 Austin businessman Harry Lee Peterson Jr. was remembered this week by a longtime friend and associate as ``kindly, generous, just the most wonderful guy.'' Peterson died Tuesday at age 92. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. today at Weed- A.2 - 13 Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Burial will be in Austin Memorial Park Cemetery. Peterson founded a dairy farm here in the late 1930s and went on to start an auto dealership and a number of bowling centers. He was on the founding board of directors of North Austin State Bank, now Bank One. A Dallas native, he held bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas A&M University. His friend, Windy Winn of Austin, said humorously but affectionately this week that Peterson was ``the only Aggie I ever loved.'' Winn did public relations and advertising for the former Hillcrest Farms Dairy, which Peterson founded here in 1937. The loyalty of the dairy's clientele, Winn recalled, was demonstrated by an incident in the late 1950s, when some of Peterson's dairy cattle broke through a fence in Southeast Austin and got into an onion patch. The milk they produced tasted like onions, which wasn't discovered until delivery drivers were already on the road. At Peterson's urgent direction, Winn said he got the word out through newspaper and radio announcements that, although the milk smelled unmilklike, it was no threat to the dairy's exclusively home-delivery consumers. ``Remarkably,'' Winn said, ``they didn't lose a single customer.'' Peterson is survived by his wife, Anna Faye Peterson of Austin; two daughters, Anne Peterson Donovan of Austin and Claire Peterson Caudill of Houston; a sister, Genevieve Thomas, and two brothers, Hugh Peterson and Earl Peterson, all of Dallas; and four grandchildren. Obituary of Harry L. Peterson, Jr. Austin American-Statesman, January 2, 1998 Anna Faye Peterson March 22, 1912 - January 4, 2018 Anna Faye Teer Peterson, age 105, died on January 4, 2018. She was born on March 22, 1912, to Clara Wayman Teer and Claude Duval Teer in Granger, Texas. She was educated in Granger until the family moved to Austin in 1927, when Claude Teer left the Texas Legislature to become secretary of the Highway Commission. He later served as chairman of the Texas State Board of Control until his death in 1939. Anna Faye graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1929. She attended the University of Texas, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the Reagan Literary Society. She was elected to Omicron Nu, the honorary home economics organization, and graduated in June, 1933, with a B.S. in Home Economics. After graduation, she taught Home Economics at Alamo Heights Junior High School in San Antonio for one year, then returned to Austin to teach at Austin High. She served as a sponsor of the Red Jackets and designed the military-style uniform that the group wore until they stopped marching and started dancing. She married Harry Lee Peterson, Jr., on June 27, 1936, A.2 - 14 and helped him establish Hillcrest Farms Dairy. They had two daughters, Anne Peterson Donovan and Claire Peterson Caudill. Anna Faye was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association and received her 50-, 65-, and 75-year pins. She started collecting antique dolls in the mid-1940s, encouraged by Willie Hunter (Mrs. Hal) Armstrong. An avid doll collector most of her life, she was a member of the Austin Doll Study Club. She was a life-long member of First United Methodist Church; a member of the Settlement Club, which she joined in 1948; and has also belonged to the Austin Woman's Club and the Austin Art League II. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 61 years, Harry. She is survived by her daughters, Anne and Claire, and their husbands, John C. Donovan and John W. Caudill. She has four grandchildren: John P. Donovan and his wife, Jacy; Peter L. Donovan and his wife, Abigail; Michael H. Donovan and his wife, Deanna; and Anne Caudill Vidacovich and her husband, Ron. She also has eight great-grandchildren: Harrison, Hudson, and Hayes Donovan; Clara and Helena Donovan; Jane and Harry Donovan; and Nicole Vidacovich. Anna Faye would never allow a guest to leave her home without choosing a cookie from the bottomless tin in her freezer. She enjoyed her dolls, her spectacular azaleas, watching British comedies on PBS, and going out to dinner, almost always picking up the check. But she was most interested in the lives and accomplishments of her daughters and their families, and happiest when surrounded by them. The family wishes to express their appreciation and gratitude to Anna Faye's wonderful caregivers: Gloria Cervantes, Lola Guerra, Summer Hernandez, Sandra Khan, Annalee Litchfield, and Shannon Wood; to her cardiologist, Dr. Kunjan Bhatt, and her nurse, Debbie Cooper; and to her special friend, Carol Rabel Petersen. Following a private burial, a memorial service will be held at Tarrytown United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 13, at 1:00p.m. Serving as pallbearers will be John C. Donovan, John W. Caudill, John P. Donovan, Peter Donovan, Mike Donovan, Ron Vidacovich, and Rene Cardenas. The soloist will be Deanna Donovan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Settlement Home for Children, 1600 Payton Gin Road, Austin, Texas 78758-6506; Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78759; or First United Methodist Church, 1200 Lavaca, Austin, Texas 78701. (Published by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, Friday, January 5, 2018) PARCEL NO.: 0115010505 LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 5 *& N 7.5 FT OF LOT 4 *& S 35 FT OF LOT 6 *& E 15 FT OF LOT 17&18 BLK 1 PEMBERTON HEIGHTS SEC 1 ESTIMATED ANNUAL TAX ABATEMENT: $8,500 (owner-occupied); city portion: $2,500 (capped); county portion: $2,500 (capped); AISD portion: $3,500 (capped). APPRAISED VALUE: $1,675,788 NOTE: Approximately 2/3 of the value of this property is accounted for by its .46 acre of land. PRESENT USE: Single family residence. A.2 - 15 CONDITION: Excellent PRESENT OWNERS: Willy Fischler 2408 Harris Boulevard Austin, Texas 78703 DATE BUILT: ca. 1933 ALTERATIONS/ADDITIONS: All additions to the house were completed during the historic period: additions in 1935 and 1945. There is a ca. 2019 detached carport to the south of the house. ORIGINAL OWNER(S): Claude and Clara Teer (1930) OTHER HISTORICAL DESIGNATIONS: Contributing to the Old West Austin National Register Historic District Sewer connection application by Claude Teer for this house (1933)  LOCATION MAP A.2 - 16 A.2 - 17 A.2 - 18 A.2 - 19 A.2 - 20 A.2 - 21 A.2 - 22 A.2 - 23