D.6.0 - 301 W. 14th Street — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS JULY 26, 2021 DA-2021-080258; GF-2021-103638 301 W. 14TH STREET D.6 – 1 PROPOSAL Demolish a ca. 1953 building. ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH One-story flat-roofed commercial building with modest Mid-century Modern stylistic influences. Cladding on the front is a combination of narrow coursed ashlar limestone and stucco, with side elevations consisting of stucco and clay tile. The façade has a large display window with horizontal muntins next to a recessed entry with a glass door and a similar fixed window set at a diagonal. John Marvin Davis, Sr. (1902–1987) and Eula Mae Davis (1905–1981) owned the neighboring house at 303 W. 14th St., where they lived and ran Raven Plumbing Company. Beginning in the mid-1950s, John Davis also operated Davis Cash Grocery and Market, and the building at 301 W. 14th St. may have been purpose-built for the business. The grocery store was previously run by Joseph A. Davis (1912–1990) and located at 1401 Lavaca St. John and Joseph Davis appear to be cousins. This building was completed ca. 1953 according to tax appraisal records, and the 1955 city directory lists it as the grocery in association with John Davis’s name. There is not known to be any relation between this family or business and the Nelson Davis & Son wholesale grocery business. In 1961, Amy Stark Interiors moved into the building. Stark was a member of the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Designers and served as chair of the Austin Woman’s Federation interior decorating group. By 1970, the building was owned by the Country Store Art Gallery. A 1974 ad describes it as the “newly decorated street entrance” to the Best in the World Shop, affiliated with the Country Store gallery. PROPERTY EVALUATION The Historic Resources Survey for Old Austin Neighborhood Association (HHM, Inc., 2020) lists the property as ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places or landmark designation. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building retains low to moderate integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it does not meet two criteria: convey architectural significance. a. Architecture. Due to its relatively modest original design and subsequent modifications, the building does not b. Historical association. The property does not appear to have significant 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 property 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 Encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse over demolition, but release the permit upon 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.6 – 2 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos D.6 – 3 HHM, Inc., Historic Resources Survey for Old Austin Neighborhood Association, 2019 Occupancy History City Directory Research, 2021 1959 1957 1955 1952 Davis Grocery & Market Davis Grocery & Market Davis Cash Grocery & market Address not listed Historical Information D.6 – 4 Excerpt from ad featuring Davis Cash Grocery, The Austin Statesman, Dec. 5, 1955 D.6 – 5 Austin American-Statesman, May 7, 1961; The Austin Statesman, June 16, 1961 and Apr. 18, 1962 D.6 – 6 Austin American-Statesman, May 19, 1974 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Source note: Sanborn Maps are from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn-maps/. D.6 – 7 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1935-1961, vol. 1, sheet 18 D.6 – 8 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1935, sheet 18. Note building does not appear on map. Permits Building permit for remodel, 1970 Historic Resources Survey for Old Austin Neighborhood Association June 26, 2020 Prepared for Old Austin Neighborhood Association Prepared by HHM & Associates, Inc. Austin, Texas HHM ID No. 112085 301 W 14 ST Thu, 21 Nov 2019 Thu, 21 Nov 2019 IDENTIFICATION Address 301 W 14 ST Appraisal District ID 199834 Addition/Subdivision OLD CITY SUBD Legal Description LOT 3 BLK A OLD CITY SUBD HISTORY Current name Current use Commercial Owner Name PALMER G J JR Owner Mailing Address 303 W 14TH STREET AUSTIN TX 78701 Historic Name Historic Use Commercial Year built 1953 (source: Appraisal district, 1935- History Notes 1961 Sanborn) CLASSIFICATION MAJOR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Primary/Secondary PrimaryPrimary resource No. of Stories 1 Property Type Store Form/Plan Enframed window wall Stylistic Influence(s) Mid-century Modern INTEGRITY Exterior Material(s) Stone, Brick, Wood Roof Form Flat Window Type(s) Fixed Window Material(s) Metal Alterations All windows replaced, Doors replaced Additions Notes Alterations outside period of significance PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS Designations (Survey No. City Scan: CHBS 2018 - Form: Commercial/Block; Estimated Date: 1953; Style: Mid-Century Modern; Integrity Score: 3) Surveys City Scan: CHBS 2018 - Form: Commercial/Block; Estimated Date: 1953; Style: Mid-Century Modern; LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS Integrity Score: 3 Designation Not eligible for local designation Justification Applicable Criteria Area(s) of Significance District Name Status (N/C) Lacks integrity NATIONAL REGISTER (NRHP) RECOMMENDATIONS Designation Not eligible for NRHP Justification Applicable Criteria Area(s) of Significance District Name Status (N/C) Lacks integrity, Lacks significance Appendix C | C-716