D.9.0 - 812 W. 12th Street — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS JULY 26, 2021 PR-21-087495 812 W. 12TH STREET D.9 – 1 PROPOSAL ARCHITECTURE Demolish a ca. 1946 commercial building. RESEARCH One-story, rectangular-plan, three-bay brick commercial building with metal and plate glass storefronts, a brick parapet, corrugated metal full-width awning, black ceramic tile wainscoting, and quoined brick posts separating the bays. This building appears to have been built in 1946, although there is no building permit record to confirm the date of construction. It seems that there was a mom-and-pop grocery store on this site in the late 1930s, but that building was razed and a period of vacancy ensued for this site until just after World War II. City records indicate a water service permit for this address in late 1946, and city directories show three businesses in this building, which has three commercial bays, starting in 1949. The businesses remained stable through the end of the 1950s – a beauty salon at 812, a paint and wallpaper store at 814, and an ice cream parlor at 816. PROPERTY EVALUATION The building appears in the Comprehensive Cultural Resources Survey (1984) but without a priority for research. 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). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it may meet the criteria for architecture and community value. a. Architecture. The building is a good example of neighborhood-scale commercial architecture with three bays housing three businesses. It is largely intact and may qualify for landmark designation due to its architectural significance. b. Historical association. This building housed three businesses from the date of its construction through the end of the 1950s – a very stable history of tenants. The businesses were a beauty shop, a paint and wallpaper store, and an ice cream parlor. However, despite their longevity at this location during the historic period, none of these businesses were significant in their own right and would not qualify this building for landmark designation under the criterion for historical associations. c. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The building is a neighborhood-scale commercial building, and had three very stable tenants from the time of its construction through the end of the 1950s. The businesses in this building were a beauty salon, a paint and wallpaper store, and an ice cream parlor, all geared to the surrounding neighborhood and the adjacent Austin High School These small, neighborhood-scale commercial buildings are rare in Austin, and their locations were important to defining the character of the surrounding area, even though at the time of construction of this building, the surrounding neighborhood was being transformed into a commercial area with the construction of Lamar Boulevard to the west. 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 Postpone to the August 23, 2021 meeting to explore and consider alternatives to demolition, or initiate historic zoning. If the Commission votes to release the demolition permit, then staff recommends completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package, consisting of 8.5 x 11 photographs of all elevations, printed on photographic paper, a dimensioned sketch plan, and a narrative history, for archiving at the Austin History Center. LOCATION MAP D.9 – 2 PROPERTY INFORMATION 812-16 W. 12th Street ca. 1946 D.9 – 3 OCCUPANCY HISTORY 812-16 W. 12th Street No proprietor information available Mrs. Nena E. Smith, proprietor 812: Pat’s Beauty Salon Pat Patterson, proprietor 814: Kuhn Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. 816: Maroon Mill, ice cream City Directory Research, Austin History Center By City Historic Preservation Office June, 2021 1959 1957 1955 812: Pat’s Beauty Salon 814: Kuhn Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. 816: Maroon Mill, ice cream 812: Pat’s Beauty Salon 814: Kuhn Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. 816: Maroon Mill, ice cream Raymond L. Kemp, manager Raymond L. Kemp, manager Mrs. Nena Smith, proprietor Mrs. Nena Smith, manager Homer and Lois Patterson, proprietors Homer F. and Lois Patterson, proprietors 1952 812: Margaret’s Beauty Salon D.9 – 4 Mabel Foster, proprietor 814: Kuhn Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. Raymond L. Kemp, vice-president 816: Maroon Mill, ice cream Marvin H Jensen, proprietor 812: The address is not listed in the directory. 814: Nu-Enamel Austin Company, paints John L. Scott, proprietor 816: Zesto Products, confectioners Lester L. Ihmes, proprietor The address is not listed in the directory. The address is not listed in the directory. Vacant 1949 1947 1944-45 1941 1939 1937 1935 Fred P. Evins Grocery NOTE: Frank P. and Bertha Evins lived at 823½ W. 11th Street. Frank P. Evins Grocery NOTE: Frank P. and Bertha Evins lived at 501 E. 3rd Street. The listing for this address appears to be residential and related to the Austin Athletic Club. There is a water service permit that appears to be for this site (1937) D.9 – 5 Building permit for an addition to a commercial “stand” on this site (1937). This could refer to the Evins Grocery Store, which stood here in the late 1930s. Water service permit for this address (1946) D.9 – 6 The 1935 Sanborn map shows a house on the site of the current building. City directory listings confirm that there was a house at this site in the mid-1930s. The three-bay building appears on the 1961 Sanborn map.