D.11.0 - 311 E 5th St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS JANUARY 24, 2022 DA-2021-203008; GF 2022-001053 311 E. 5TH STREET D.11 – 1 PROPOSAL RESEARCH Demolish a ca. 1929 commercial building. ARCHITECTURE One-part commercial block gas station with modest Art Deco stylistic influences. Located on a corner lot, the building perimeter historically was open for vehicular circulation between stairstepped concrete columns. Stucco walls with commercial storefront windows now infill the space below the brick parapet. The columns extend past the top of the parapet and are adorned with cartouches. At the building corner are blocky dry-stacked stone columns with stained horizontal wood siding and paired wood doors between them. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas, 2016 update, includes information on service stations in one- and two-part commercial block buildings: “Building owners in urban areas began to incorporate service stations into corner commercial blocks, sometimes adapted to the site and other times designed for the site. Corner commercial block buildings allowed a drive-through area that covered gas pumps, creating a space for marketing and the sale of automotive products, and affording protection during inclement weather” (4-1; see also image on p. 4-9). The service station at 311 E. 5th St. was built in 1929 for the Severn brothers, local agents for Pierce Petroleum Pennant products. It was operated by Jessie Piland throughout the historic period, initially in partnership with Stuart Watt and later with John D. Elliott. In addition to being a filling station, the business offered automotive service, body repairs, tires and batteries, and washing. PROPERTY EVALUATION Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building retains low integrity. Modifications include infill of the open-air perimeter and replacement or encasement 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and that of the concrete columns at the building corner. it does not meet two criteria: a. Architecture. Although it retains distinctive features, including some of the stepped columns and cartouches, the building does not convey architectural significance due to modifications. 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 but release the permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package. LOCATION MAP D.11 – 2 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos D.11 – 3 Photograph by Historic Preservation Office staff, 2022 Google Street View, Mar. 2011 D.11 – 4 Photographs by Historic Preservation Office staff, 2022 Occupancy History City Directory Research, December 2021 Piland & Elliott, auto repair Jesse Piland and John D. Elliott, proprietors 1959 1957 1955 1952 1949 1947 1944 1941 1939 Piland & Elliott, gas station Piland & Elliott, gas station Piland & Elliott, gas station Piland & Elliott, filling station Piland & Elliott, filling station Piland & Elliott, filling station Piland & Elliott, filling station Piland & Elliot, filling station Note: address listed as 307-311 E. 5th St. J. E. Webb, tires 1935 Piland & Elliott, service station J. E. Webb, tires Bob Drenner, batteries Watt & Piland, filling station Note: address listed as 317 E. 5th St. Watt & Piland, filling station Stuart Watt and Jessie Piland, proprietors Note: address listed as 317 E. 5th St. 311-325 E. 5th St. listed as vacant Southwest corner at Trinity St., construction 1932 1930 1929 Historical Information D.11 – 5 “Large Business Done at New Station,” Austin Statesman, Jan. 19, 1929, 8. D.11 – 6 “Complete Auto Service Given Motorists,” Austin Statesman, Mar. 17, 1934, 8. Piland & Elliott, 1935 City Directory, 439. Permits D.11 – 7 Water service permit, 1928 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps Water service permit, 1928 1935, Sheet 4a