D.9.0 - 906 E 13th St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OCTOBER 26, 2020 DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS HDP-2020-0384 906 E. 13TH STREET D.9 - 1 PROPOSAL Demolish a one-story house. ARCHITECTURE One-story building with compound hipped and gabled roof and covered entryway. Clad in horizontal wood siding and stone veneer, the house has aluminum windows with iron grilles and a partial width covered porch shaded by a metal awning. A similar awning covers the house’s large picture window. RESEARCH 906 East 13th Street was constructed in 1949 for Boston P. Grant, III and his family. Grant, an Austin native and longtime Texas educator, had just returned from a stint in San Marcos as principal of the Negro school there. As a former mathematics professor at Samuel Huston College and a former department head at Anderson High School, Grant was already well-established in Austin’s educational community prior to his return to Anderson as counselor in 1947. As one of the first certified school counselors in Texas, Grant pioneered career training programs, testing reform, and vocational mentoring at Anderson. He advocated for testing strategies that were tailored to his African American students, understanding that their educational and vocational needs were uniquely challenging in segregation-era Texas. Above all, Grant encouraged educators and counselors to listen and learn from their pupils, and to foster an environment in which young people could speak freely about their feelings as they looked toward the future. Grant’s daughter, Deloria H. Grant, took possession of the home after his death in 1980. Grant, a Samuel Huston alumnus like her father, became a licensed vocational nurse who cared for some of Austin’s most prominent families. Deloria H. Grant passed away in July of 2020. STAFF COMMENTS Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain moderate integrity. 3) Properties must meet two historic designation criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2- 352). The property may demonstrate significance according to City Code: a) Architecture. The house is constructed with Minimal Traditional influences. b) Historical association. The house is associated with educator Boston P. Grant, III. 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 Consider initiation of historic zoning based upon association with Boston P. Grant, III. Should the Commission choose not to initiate, encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse, then release the permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package, consisting of photographs of all elevations, a dimensioned sketch plan, and a narrative history, for archiving at the Austin History Center.  LOCATION MAP D.9- 2 D.9- 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos Occupancy History City Directory Research, 2020 Note: Post-1959 directory research is unavailable due to facility closure. 1959 a. Boston P. Grant, owner 1955 a. Boston P. and Julia Grant, owners Construction worker b. Vacant a. Boston P. Grant, owner Counselor, Board of Education b. A.N. Johnson, renter Teacher, Anderson High School b. C.A. and Dorothy Wash, renters USAF Boston P. and Rachel Grant, owners Counselor, Anderson High School Boston P. Grant, owner Counselor, Anderson High School 1957 1952 1949  Biographical Information D.9- 4 Obituary for homeowner Deloria H. Grant. The Austin American Statesman via Legacy.com: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=deloria-h-grant&pid=196645976 The Austin American Statesman: Jan 29, 1980  D.9- 5 The Austin Statesman: May 18, 1972  D.9- 6 The Austin Statesman: Apr 9, 1961 and Sep 28, 1961  D.9- 7 McDaniel, Vernon. The Texas Standard, Volume 34, Number 5, November-December 1960; Austin, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth193802/m1/12/?q=ODESSA) University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Prairie View A&M University.  D.9- 8 The Austin American: Mar 4, 1956  D.9- 9 Obituary for Boston Grant III’s son, Boston P. Grant IV, of Dallas. Dallas Morning News, 2011: https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/2011/05/25/legendary-former-south-oak-cliff-track- coach-boston-grant-dies-at-87/ Building Permits  Building permit, 6-9-49 D.9- 10 Water tap permit, 3-23-51 Remodel permit, 12-27-56 Remodel permit, 10-10-63