A.1.1 - 813 Park Blvd - Miller-Long - HZ application — original pdf

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City of Austin - Historic Preservation Office Historic Zoning Application Packet F. 1: Historical Documentation - Deed Chronology Deed Research for (fill in address) ________________________________ List Deeds chronologically, beginning with earliest transaction first and proceeding through present ownership. The first transaction listed should date at least back to when the original builder of any historic structures on the site first acquired the property (i.e., should pre-date the construction of any buildings/structures on the site). Please use the format delineated below. For each transaction please include: name of Grantor/Grantee, date of transaction, legal description involved, price, and volume/page number of deed records. If there is a mechanic's lien please copy the entire document. Plat Records Volume 435, Page 353B Volume 442, Page 369A Online Deed Record CNY0080108CNY CNY0076603CNY Grantor Date Executed 4/23/1929 10/11/1929 10/21/1946 Instrument Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed 1/13/1947 Warranty Deed E. H. Perry R. Tom Miller Nellie May Miller and husband, Tom Miller Rex D. Kitchens and wife, Effie Kitchens Mrs. J.M. Hooper Jay H. Brown Mrs. J.M. Hooper W.L. "Jack" Armstrong Stuart Long and wife, Emma Long John C. Buckley Austin Doctors Bldg Corp Stuart and Emma Long Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Warranty Deed Release of Lien 4/14/1947 4/14/1947 7/28/1948 11/2/1950 11/1/1971 11/1/1971 10/17/1974 10/21/1974 5/24/1977 UCC-1 NON STD OPR Austin Doctors Bldg Corp 10/26/2017 Special Warranty Deed Laverne Henderson (deceased); Marvin Grantee R. Tom Miller Nellie May Miller Rex. D. Kitchens Mrs. J.M. Hooper Jay H. Brown Mrs. J.M. Hooper W.L. "Jack" Armstrong Stuart Long and wife, Emma Long John C. Buckley Austin Doctors Bldg Corp Marvin and Laverne Henderson John C. Buckley Travelers Insurance Co 811-813 Park LLC Volume 825, Page 56 Volume 827, Page 424 Volume 846, Page 436 Volume 846, Page 437 Volume 933, Page 387 Volume 1065, Page 633 Volume 4211, Page 1685 Vol. 4228, Page 2357 Vol. 5031, Page 1477 Volume 5052, Page 1854 Volume 5782, Page 2173 Floyd Henderson; Mayrene Henderson; Pattye Henderson and Johnn Robert Henderson 3/6/2020 Deed 811-813 Park LLC Xinesi Holdings LLC 505201854 582302392 503101477 505201854 578202173 2017172429 2020038245 10 Adopted December 2012 813 Park Blvd., Austin, Texas 78751City of Austin - Historic Preservation Office Historic Zoning Application Packet F. 2: Historical Documentation - Occupancy History Occupancy Research for (fill in address) ___________________________ Using City Directories available at the Austin History Center or other information available, please provide a chronology of all occupants of the property from its construction to the present. For commercial property, please provide residential information on business owner as well. Year 1929 1930-45 1947 1949 Occupant Name Occupation Tom Miller (Nellie May) Produce and cotton; 4th mayor of Austin Vacant John W. Armstrong (Irene) 1952-1972 Stuart M. Long (Emma) Long News Service; First City Directories City Council woman Source City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories City Directories 1973-1975 Vacant 1976-1986 Marvin Henderson (Laverne) 1987-1992 Vacant 1996-2017 No listing for 813 Park 2018-2021 Vacant Adopted December 2012 11 813 Park Blvd., Austin, Texas 78751Miller-Long House 813 Park Blvd. Austin, Travis, Texas Historical Narrative Summary The Miller-Long House is a 1929 two-story Tudor Revival style dwelling that stands at the corner of Red River and Park Blvd. The neighborhood opened as the Perry Estates Addition in 1929 and was defined by two rock entrances along Park Blvd. and a bridge that spans Waller Creek.1 The residence is located at the eastern boundary of the residential neighborhood that extends to the west. Hancock Shopping Center, first developed about 1963 (once a portion of the Austin Country Club golf course) is across Red River to the east. Single-family residences line Park Blvd to the west, and the historic Commodore Perry Estate is directly south of the property. The period of significance is 1929-1971, when the home was owned by Robert Thomas “Tom” and Nellie May Miller and subsequently by council member Emma Long and her husband Stuart. Tom Miller was an influential community leader who served as mayor from 1933-1949 and 1955-1961, 22 years in all.2 The couple purchased the lot directly from E. H. Perry in 1929.3 The Millers sold the home in 1946 and it changed hands several times over the course of four years until it was purchased by Emma and Stuart Long in 1950. Emma Long was the first female council member in Austin and later served as Mayor Pro Tem, another first for a woman. Long was a strong advocate for desegregation of public buildings, fair housing, and lower utility rates, as well as fair pay for firefighters, and police. Tom Miller and Emma Long are arguably two of Austin’s most influential, effective, and dynamic leaders at a pivotal time in the city’s history and development. A classic example of the Tudor Revival style of the early 20th century, the house has many distinctive features and finishes and remains closely associated with Miller and Long. As such, the property is nominated for its unique architecture and its historical association with former Mayor Tom Miller and with Austin’s first female council woman Emma Long. The home’s massing and detailing are representative of the Tudor Revival style, with a steeply pitched front- facing gable with wing, a smaller gable nested within the larger one, shed dormers, arched detailing, and distinctive patterned brickwork. The material pallet of variegated brick, stucco, steel casement windows and Tudor-styled entry doors. The original roof was wood shingles but is now composition shingle. The interior paneling and woodwork are intact as other interior features, including Tudor arches over interior doorways, built-in cabinetry, a brick fireplace with a Tudor arch and a decorative surround embellished with a floral and drape relief. The asymmetrical design of the front façade is typical of the style after 1920. Statement of Significance The Miller-Long House demonstrates significance in the categories of Architecture as a beautiful example of the Tudor Revival style popular from 1890-1940 and specific to the Perry Estate Addition, developed by D.W English in 1928. The house is also significant for its historical associations with Tom Miller and later, with Emma Long. The period of significance is 1929-1971, the years during which the house was built and occupied by Tom and Nellie Miller and later occupied by Emma and Stuart Long. 1 “New Addition to be Opened Here.” Austin American-Statesman, Dec 1, 1928. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/366248296 (Accessed 20 Aug 2020) 2 "Ex-Mayor Tom Miller Dies After Long Illness: Weed-Corley Rites to Re Held Tuesday." The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Apr 30, 1962. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquestcom.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historicalnewspapers/ex-mayor-tom-miller- diesafter-long illness/docview/1527622739/se-2?accountid=7451. 3 Deed Chain. Independence Title of Austin. Warranty Deed dated April 23, 1929, recorded in Volume 435, Page 353, Deed Records of Travis County, Texas, executed by E.H. Perry to R. Tom Miller. O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 12 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas  Architectural Description The Miller-Long House is a two-story home located at 813 Park Blvd. on a lot that was previously part of the Commodore Perry Estate. Deed records from the Travis County Clerk’s office indicate the house was constructed in 1929.4 The first residents appeared at this site with the address listed as 713 Park Blvd. in the Austin City Directory in that same year and on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps in 1935; no buildings were evident on this site on the previous Sanborn map (1922). Building components indicate few additions and modifications and no building permits are recorded online prior to 2000. The house remains largely unchanged since its completion. As described by Virginia Savage McAlester, the home’s decorative detailing is distinguishable as Tudor Revival The asymmetry of the front façade is typical of the Tudor Revival tyle after 1920.5 The property has always been used as a private home, although the buildings have been vacant since 1986. The Main House is in good condition and retains most of its historic integrity, apart from the kitchen, earlier stucco replacement and some structural damage at the pier and beam foundation. There have been no additions to the structure, and the only interior changes over time have involved decorating.6 The Garage mimics the steeply pitched roof of the Main House and retains its original wooden doors on the north façade. The corner lot is large, at 14,426 square feet, and the house sits back from the street. The home has many distinctive features and finishes indicative of the Tudor Revival style of architecture. Some of these character- defining features include asymmetrical forms and a dominant front gable, a steeply pitched roof, patterned brickwork, notable chimneys crowned with chimney pots and groupings of tall narrow windows with multi-pane glazing. Similar architectural features are often depicted in fairy tales like Hansel & Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood, lending a storybook feel to the buildings. The front façade faces north towards Park Boulevard and presents with a simple concrete walkway leading to a wide entry front door that is reminiscent of Medieval detailing with paneled ornamentation, is oversized and slightly obscured from view by a screen door with simple decorative metal flourishes held in place by a plain wooden frame. Utilitarian painted metal handrails extend from the house to establish a small entry porch. The house has a steep composite shingle roof with a dominant front-facing gable. A smaller gable with identical pitch is nested inside the larger gable. Each gable end is accentuated with a wooden finial. The front gabled ends and second story are faced with stucco. A round window is positioned within a rounded arch above the door, which is flanked by two, eight-pane metal casement windows with transoms. The stuccoed upper walls meet a brick course that projects slightly from the lower brick wall below. Above the door hangs a wrought iron pendant light. In addition to the windows at the gabled entrance, five pair of tall, narrow steel casement windows with multi-pane glazing, one steel casement window with an eight-pane fixed middle window and one narrow steel casement window with an arched transom in the attic adorn the north elevation. This narrow, arched attic window and the round window above the door give the home a storybook charm. The building envelope employs an orange and blonde brick veneer with varied and distinctive patterned brickwork and recessed round arches at the first floor and chimneys. Brickwork between the first-floor windows on the north façade features a decorative herringbone pattern. Varying decorative patterns exist on other exterior elevations as well. The upper walls are clad with a cement-based stucco with a primitively executed lace and skip trowel texture. This material is not believed to be original but will be confirmed during restoration. 4 Travis County Appraisal District. 813 Park Blvd. http://propaccess.traviscad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?prop_id=214877&year=2021. Accessed 9/8/21. 5 Virginia Savage McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2017), p. 355. 6 “Latest Project is Home Decoration.” Candy Lowry, Women’s Staff. Austin American-Statesman, Nov 16, 1969. O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 13 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas Of note is the west elevation, the centerpiece of which is a distinctive chimney that served the kitchen and boiler in the basement of the house. The chimney wall has two small arched casement windows, one at each floor and unique decorative brickwork in a basketweave pattern below each window. These elements represent additional storybook elements of the house. A second narrow chimney serves the living room to the east and is also topped with modest clay chimney pots visible from the front elevation. The south elevation, or back of the house, has two doors that lead outside, one from the kitchen and one from the enclosed sunroom on the east side of the house. A three-window bay accents the dining room. The east elevation faces Red River and reveals the bank of windows that make up the sun porch and a band of windows on the second floor define the sitting room above. A concrete skirt encircles the entire building and can be seen on each elevation. Entering the building from the front door on the north façade, one moves into small vestibule flanked by an extremely small half bath to the left and a storage closet of the same size to the right. One step up leads the visitor into an oak-floored foyer with wall and ceiling wood paneling and staircase. The staircase is split, with four steps from the entry and from the dining room up to an intermediate landing. A single stair run leads from the first landing to the second floor. The staircase has columnar newel posts at the base and landing with a modest handrail and turned balusters between the newel posts. A utilitarian handrail follows the staircase on the left wall to the second floor. The balustrade continues along the staircase opening on the second floor. At the top of the stairs around the perimeter of the landing are four bedrooms, three of which have corresponding bathrooms. Two of the bathrooms are especially cheerful with colorful tile work in lavender with green and black accents, and yellow with black accents, respectively. These bathrooms have tile soap dishes and toothbrush holders incorporated into the tile. The yellow-tiled bathroom has an intricate basketweave floor in a coordinating yellow, black and white tile. The third bathroom is all white wall tile and fixtures with small hexagonal floor tile, also in white. Other interior features include Tudor arched doorways, original oak floors, and plaster walls. The fireplace hearth is brick with a Tudor arch and an ornamental plaster surround embellished with a floral and drape relief. Most of the upstairs walls and ceilings are stripped down to shiplap. An opening in the ceiling in the hallway leads to the attic. There is evidence in the attic that finishes have been removed, and there are J boxes and switch locations from previous lighting. Garage/Apartment A detached garage is located just southwest of the main house and dates to the same period of construction as the main house. The garage matches the house in form, roof pitch and wall materials, and consequently reads as an integral part of the property. Such an architecturally distinctive garage is unusual for Austin and would have been seen as a status symbol in the early days of car ownership. Both buildings retain a high degree of integrity and merit local landmark designation as an excellent example of Tudor Revival style architecture as well as for its historical associations with former Austin mayor Tom Miller and first female city council member Emma Long. O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 14 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas  Biographical Data The story of Austin is rich with tales of the larger-than-life personalities of its earliest settlers who made Austin thrive. But the next generation proved to be businessmen and women who dared to dream bigger and fight harder for their beloved city, fostering improved infrastructure, innovation, equality, and prosperity in Austin. Edgar H. Perry The land that became the site of 813 Park Blvd. was originally part of the Edgar Howard “Commodore” Perry (1876-1974) estate. Perry was born in Caldwell, Texas, January 5, 1876, the son of John W. and Lou Perry. After graduating from Baylor University, Perry moved to Austin in 1904 and started his career in the cotton business with George H. McFadden of Philadelphia. He later started his own concern with partners Sheppard King of Dallas and Will Clayton of Houston. The three men focused their efforts on the European market. Eventually, Perry left the business in 1929 to settle in Austin and concentrate on local business ventures.7 He had a deep love for the city and frequently said, “I made my money in Europe and am going to spend it in Austin to make the city a nicer place in which to live.8” Prior to leaving the cotton trade, Perry purchased land east of the Austin Country Club (now Hancock Golf Course) around 1917. Shortly thereafter, Perry purchased a 9-acre gravel pit site north of the Austin Country Club where he relocated the house and built a sunken garden in the pit. The Perry’s used the home as a country place for weekend parties.9 Construction on the current mansion began in 1927. He and his wife Lutie and son, Edgar, Jr., moved into their new home in 1928. The Italian Renaissance Revival mansion was designed by Dallas architect Henry Bowers Thomson. The beauty of the mansion was complimented by a series of formal and informal gardens, fountains, pools, statuary, seating areas, stone walls and ornamental gates designed by landscape architect Homer Lee Fry.10 The Commodore Perry Estate was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and was designated a local landmark in 2003. As the Perry mansion was nearing completion, Perry and his son, Edgar Perry, Jr. subdivided 10 acres of the original 20-acre estate north of mansion and dubbed the area the Perry Estates Addition. Perry, Jr. built the first Tudor Revival style house on the block at 801 Park Blvd. In December 1928, D.W. English, a San Antonio contractor, and real estate operator announced the opening of the new residential addition near the Austin Country Club (now Hancock Golf Course). A rock bridge across Waller Creek, similar to one at the Perry Estate, was constructed at the cost of $2,500. Rock entrances were built to at Park and Red River and to the west between the bridge over Waller Creek and Barrow Street to delineate the small addition. These architectural elements are part of the streetscape today.11 7 "Edgar Perry Comes to be Symbol of Austin." The Austin American (1914-1973), Oct 12, 1947. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historical-newspapers/edgar-perry-comes- be-symbol-austin/docview/1616904778/se-2?accountid=7451. (Accessed 1 October 2020). 8 "Edgar Perry Comes to be Symbol of Austin." The Austin American (1914-1973) 9 Perry Estate/St. Mary’s Academy National Register Nomination. Prepared by Laura Knott. October 1, 2000. Listed in National Register of Historic Places August 8, 2001. 10 Homer Lee Fry – 1894-1965. The Cultural Landscape Foundation. https://www.tclf.org/homer-lee-fry 11 “New Addition to be Opened Here,” The Austin American-Statesman, 1 December 1928, p. 1; Newspapers.com by Ancestry https://www.newspapers.com/image/366248296 (Accessed 20 Aug 2020). O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 15 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas  The addition was platted as the Stock Market crashed and at the dawn of the Great Depression, so many of the houses were more modest than originally planned.12 English appeared to have started building three homes in the addition13 before construction in the area likely stalled with the economic crisis. The 1935 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows only three houses in what was then the 700 block of Park Blvd.14 One of the most significant houses in the new addition was the residence constructed at the southeast corner of Park Blvd. and Red River Street. Robert Thomas “Tom” Miller Robert Thomas “Tom” Miller and his wife Nellie May purchased the lot at 713 (now 813) Park Blvd. from Edgar Perry in April 1929.15 Miller (1894-1962), a mayor of Austin, would play a prominent role in the city’s development. Miller and his wife Nellie May were the first owners of the Tudor Revival style house that still graces the southwest corner of Red River and Park Blvd. Mrs. Miller hosted various civic committees at the hour and their daughter, Virginia Joy, married Dan Roberts Shelton in the home on April 8, 1943.16 The couple lived in the house until 1946 when they sold the house17 and moved to 3703 Stevenson. Joy and Dan Shelton lived next door at 3701 Stevenson.18 Robert Thomas Miller was born on September 21, 1893, in Austin, to Thomas McCall and Annie Gillum Miller. He attended Palm School and his mother served as president of the first parent-teacher association. Miller was greatly influenced by an early teacher, Mrs. Florence Ralston Brook. Mrs. Brook, along with his mother, instilled a love for Shakespeare and he regularly quoted Shakespeare on many occasions throughout his life.19 He attended Austin High School and graduated from the Whitis School, going on to attend the University of Texas. At one point, Miller considered a career as an actor or a lawyer, but after one year at the university, he entered his father's produce and cotton business. He married Nellie May Miller in 1918.20 Miller’s father died in 1916 and Tom and his brother James took over the business, moving into a large warehouse at 301 West 4th Street in 1924.21 12 Hancock Neighborhood National Register nomination. Historic Resources Survey of North Loop, Hancock, and Upper Boggy Creek. Prepared by Cox McLain Environmental Consulting and Preservation Central (2019-2020) 13 “New Addition to be Opened Here,” The Austin American-Statesman. 14 Digital Sanborn Maps. 1935, Sheet 314. Accessed through the Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas. https://digitalsanbornmaps- proquest-com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/browse_maps/44/8391/41282/43259/584715?accountid=326 15 Travis County Clerk’s Office, County Clerk Web Search, Instrument # CNY0080108CNY Book 435, Page3638. Date Filed April 25, 1929. (Accessed 14 Sept 2021). 16 "Miss Virginia Joy Miller is Now Mrs. Dan Roberts Shelton: Thursday Afternoon Ceremony is Read at Home of Mayor and Mrs. Tom Miller." The Austin American (1914-1973), Apr 11, 1943. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://wwwproquest- com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historicalnewspapers/miss-virginia-joy-miller-is-now-mrsdan-roberts/docview/1611676055/se- 2?accountid=7451. (Accessed 16 September 2021). 17 Deed Chain. Independence Title of Austin. Warranty Deed dated October 21, 1946, recorded in Volume 825, Page 56, Deed Records of Travis County, Texas, executed by Nellie May Miller and husband, Tom Miller to Rex D. Kitchens. 18 Reynolds Miller Shelton. Interview with the author. September 22, 2021. 19 “The Tom Miller Story.” Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Gordon Wilkison, Director. Paul Bolton, Narrative April 30, 1962. https://texasarchive.org/2011_03298 (Accessed 7 Oct 2021) 20 "Miller-Miller." The Statesman (1916-1921), Apr 03, 1918. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest- com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historical-newspapers/miller/docview/1619598349/se-2?accountid=7451. 21 Mayor’s Office. Tom Miller Records. Austin History Center. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc/00692/ahc-00692.html (Accessed 20 Aug 2020). O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 16 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas  Tom Miller served as Austin’s mayor from 1933-1949 and again from 1955-1961, twenty-two years in all.22 During his tenure, council members chose one among them to serve as mayor. He was never bested in any subsequent council race and was always selected as mayor in each of his many terms.23 Many of Miller’s significant accomplishments were in the way of city improvements, not only regarding the city’s infrastructure, but also with its civic and cultural development. He came to local government at a time when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. Miller used FDR’s New Deal programs to benefit Austin. As an example, Austin received funding for the first federal housing project in the United States.24 Tom Miller was a huge supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal programs. In 1937, Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act which provided funding to from the federal government to local public housing agencies to improve living conditions for low-income families. Miller had become friends with then Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson through Miller’s work with and lifelong dedication to the Democratic party. Johnson was determined to be the first in the United States to have a housing project and called together Tom Miller and other influential heavy hitters to push for a public housing project in Austin. Shortly after, the mayor and city council established the Austin Housing Authority on December 27, 1937.25 Consequently, the Austin Housing Authority became the first in the country to receive funding and Santa Rita Courts was the first public housing development completed under the Housing Act of 1937. The first family moved into Santa Rita Courts in 1939.26 Miller first experienced the flooding of the Colorado River in 1900 at the age of 7 and surveyed the damage to south and east Austin from the old wooden bridge that crossed the river at Congress. 1n 1935, the Colorado again overtook its banks, causing an estimated $12 million in damage. Miller joined the workers to place levies for seven days and seven nights in an effort to slow the devastation. Once under control, Miller worked with Congressman Johnson and the Public Works Administration to secure funding and immediately began negotiations with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to rebuild and strengthen the dam. The dam was completed in February 1940 and the citizens of Austin, through the Chamber of Commerce, successfully lobbied to have the dam named after their beloved mayor, Tom Miller. In his subsequent term, he successfully advocated for the construction of another dam and power plant.27 Miller also received federal funding for cultural and recreational facilities, including the Austin Symphony Orchestra28 and many city parks. During his tenure, he acquired 1,200 acres of land for City Park on Lake Austin, 22 "Ex-Mayor Tom Miller Dies After Long Illness: Weed-Corley Rites to Re Held Tuesday." The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Apr 30, 1962. 23 "Tom Miller Mayor for Sixth Term." The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), May 01, 1943. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquestcom.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historicalnewspapers/tommiller-mayor-sixth- term/docview/1559169133/se-2?accountid=7451. 24 Santa Rita Courts – Austin, TX. The Living New Deal. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/santa-rita-courts-austin-tx/. Submitted by Larry Moore. June 4, 2014. 25 Texas Historical Commission. National Register Listing - Atlas Number 2008000319. Santa Rita Courts. Listed April 17, 2008. https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/ (Accessed 14 Sept 2021) 26 National Register Listing – Atlas Number 2008000319. Santa Rita Courts. 27 “The Tom Miller Story.” Texas Archive of the Moving Image. 28 “Austin Orchestra’s Fund Assured Now.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). January 13, 1939. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. (Accessed 20 Mar 2020). O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 17 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas 3,000 acres for Bergstrom Air Force Base, Hancock Golf Course, the Butler recreational tract and Caswell Tennis Center, to name a few. He also saw the development of Disch Field29 and the expansion of Mueller Airport.30 Miller remained a close friend and staunch political supporter of Lyndon Baines Johnson and served as campaign chair for Johnson’s 1960 bid for the presidency, his last political endeavor before his illness.31 Mrs. Johnson once summed up his service to Austin thusly, "Tom Miller dominated the city scene for such a long time. He had a passionate love of Austin, and it was also a proprietary love. He just felt like it was his town. He wanted to do everything for it. It was his life."32 For all these accomplishments and so much more, Tom Miller was named Austin’s Most Worthy Citizen in 1949, the year he first retired from city politics.33 Miller died due to complications from diabetes on April 30, 1962, a few months shy of his 69th birthday.34 Pallbearers included Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Congressman Homer Thornberry, and members of the Austin City Council, to name a few.35 Nellie Miller died in 1963 after a brief illness. President and Mrs. Johnson flew by helicopter from the LBJ Ranch to attend the funeral of their longtime friend.36 Robert Thomas Miller and Nellie May Miller are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin. Tom Miller’s contributions to the city were widely recognized. A 30-minute television tribute aired the same day as his death. Fellow council member Emma Long had this to say about Miller. “A great man has gone with the passing of Tom Miller, but he won’t be forgotten. I remember one thing that he used to say often and that was, ‘the past makes the present and the present makes the future.’ And that will be as it is with Tom Miller. You can’t turn any place in Austin that you don’t see Tom Miller someplace. The beautiful auditorium, the airport, the fine swimming pools and playgrounds and the flowers that grow. It’s all a part of Tom Miller and his spirit. He loved Austin above anything, I do believe. And I loved him. I worked with him, and I do know he loved the people; he loved the city. And we will always think of him when we see these monuments because they are to him, to his energy, his courage. Austin is a great place because of Tom Miller, and it will continue to be. The future is part of Tom Miller.”37 During their crossover tenure on city council Miller and Long often sparred over issues on which they disagreed. Miller often teased Emma to call her husband Stuart down to city hall so he’d have someone to fight.38 29 Hart, Weldon. "New Baseball Park Named Disch Field: Famous UT Mentor Honored Council Approves Jaycees' Request to Call Diamond After Uncle Billy." The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Aug 28, 1941. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search- proquest-com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/docview/1610135307? accountid=7451. (Accessed 26 Mar 2020). 30 Floylee Hunter Hemphill Goldberger, “Miller, Robert Thomas.” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed October 6, 2021, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/miller-robert-thomas. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. 31 “The Tom Miller Story.” 32 Floylee Hunter Hemphill Goldberger, “Miller, Robert Thomas.” Handbook of Texas Online 33 “Tom Miller: Austin's Most Worthy Citizen for '49.” Lorraine Barnes. The Statesman Staff. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Jan 11, 1950; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman pg. 10 (Accessed 14 September 2021) 34 “Ex-Mayor Dies After Long Illness.” The Austin Statesman. April 30, 1962. 35 “Ex-Mayor Dies After Long Illness.” 36 "LBJ Joins Rites for Mrs. Miller." The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Dec 31, 1963. https://atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/historicalnewspapers/lbj-joins-rites-mrs- miller/docview/1522496633/se-2?accountid=7451. (Accessed 14 Sep 2021). 37 “The Tom Miller Story.” 38 “The Tom Miller Story.” O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 18 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas Tom Miller’s longtime friend and political ally, then Vice President Lyndon Johnson, weighed in on the city’s loss as well, saying, “Austin has lost one of its greatest public servants. And I have lost one of my best personal friends. For over 30 years, it has been my pleasure to work close with Tom Miller in the field of public affairs. He was a man who believed in fighting the ancient enemies of mankind. Inequality, poor health, ignorance, illiteracy. You could always find Tom Miller standing up on the side of the people. He believed with Benjamin Franklin that one should resolve to perform what he ought and perform to resolve without fail. Tom Miller did that. When he started something, he made it go. He worked for the University of Texas. He worked to bring Bergstrom Field to Austin. He worked for a new city hall and for new school buildings for our children. He also worked to make the Hill Country a paradise with its dams and its lakes and to bring REA to each humble home. Tom Miller always thought of the other fellow and spent most of his waking hours working for them. We shall miss him, but he leaves a fine family, an able young son who I trust will carry on in his footsteps.” Miller’s leadership and his stewardship of a myriad of civic and infrastructure projects in the city leave a legacy still enjoyed by Austinites today. Emma Jackson Long In 1950, another influential city leader purchased the home at 813 Park Blvd. Emma and Stuart Long owned the home until it was sold to John C. Buckley in 1971.39 Emma Pauline Jackson was born February 29, 1912, a leap year, to Robert and Lillie May Jackson in Lefors, Texas, near the Panhandle town of Pampa. She attended high school in Hereford, Texas, where she excelled at her studies. Long was the first in her family to graduate from college. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and in 1936 Long received a degree in History with a minor in Government.40 Emma Jackson and Stuart Morrison Long met in school, where he majored in Journalism. They married in 1936. They both worked as reporters at the Capitol and for the Austin American Statesman. During the war, Stuart Long served in the Marine Corps and Mrs. Long worked for the Army Security and Intelligence Division where she analyzed information from all US intelligence agencies on subversive activities.41 Long and her husband started the Long News Service after World War II. The two worked from the Capitol and provided news coverage to 26 Texas newspapers, a number of weeklies and provided Texas coverage for national publications such as Time, the New York Times and Newsweek.42 Miss Emma, as she was known to many Austinites, entered the race for city council in a special election in 1948 to fill the vacancy for Homer Thornberry who resigned to run for a seat in Congress. Her work during World War II piqued her interest in government. As she put it, “Since the city government is so close to the home, it seems to me that the City Hall could stand a woman’s touch…”43 She won the election and became the first woman elected to the Austin city council or any major city in Texas. 39 Deed Chain. Heritage Title of Austin. Warranty Deed dated November 1, 1971, recorded in Volume 4211, Page 1685, Deed Records of Travis County, Texas, executed by Stuart Long, and wife, Emma Long to John C. Buckley. 40 City Council. Emma Long Records. Austin History Center. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc/00486/ahc-00486.html (Accessed 7 Oct 2021) 41 “Emma Long Running for Council Post.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Aug 11, 1948. Pg. 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Accessed 19 Mar 2020). 42 Lauren Zambrano, “Long, Emma Pauline Jackson,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed October 06, 2021, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/long-emma-pauline-jackson. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. 43 “Emma Long Running for Council Post.” The Austin Statesman. O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 19 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas Emma Long was a voice for the common citizen. She was not afraid to take on issues such as desegregation and increased pay for firefighters and police. She was a strong advocate for the integration of Lions Municipal Golf Course and the public library. Long fought against utility rate increases and tried to level the playing field on the stark contrasts of how city services were delivered and maintained on the east and west sides of the city. She was an advocate for fair housing for blacks and Latinos. Long could be a polarizing figure. Her supporters praised her for keeping a watchful eye over the city’s governmental body. But her detractors denounced her as an obstructionist and quarrelsome.44 Her more liberal views led some to go so far as to brand her a “communist.”45 Like Miller, Long served two city council tenures, the first from 1948 to 1959. In 1956, she threw her “bonnet” in the ring for the state Senate.46 Her bid was unsuccessful, and she remained on the council until 1959, when she decided to take a break, but not before leaving her colleagues a list of “suggestions” to work on in her absence.47 The list included her ongoing priorities: street improvements; quality medical care for all; expanded and better maintained parks and recreation facilities; expansion of utility services, and lower taxes and utility rates. By the end of her first stint as a council member, not everyone agreed with her views, but Long was considered an asset to city government and a respected public servant.48 By the end of her career, she had survived two city managers, five mayors, more than a dozen council members and more than her share of city hall newsmen,49 but not without some very public disputes. Long engaged in an ongoing battle with then City Manager Walter Seaholm which erupted in 1953 over a garbage collection strike. She publicly denounced Seaholm in a radio address, blaming him for the strike and calling for him to be fired. Seaholm shot back with accusations of interference from Long when she interviewed the strikers, an action he said meddled in administration affairs and outside the purview of council members.50 The city sanitation department returned to work two days later after accepting a four-point proposal offered by council members but championed by Long.51 After taking that short break, she was again elected to the city council in 1963. In 1967, Long was named mayor pro tem by her fellow council members, another first for Austin and any major Texas city. That same year, Long became the first person to light the Zilker Park Christmas tree.52 44 “Emma’s Political Career One of Storm and Strife.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Apr 1, 1953. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. (Accessed 10 Jan 2020). 45 Patrick George. “Pioneering city leader Emma Long dies.” The Austin American Statesman. Posted Jan 17, 2011. Updated Dec 12, 2018. (Accessed 10 Jan 2020). 46 “Emma’s Bonnet in Senate Ring?” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Jan 3, 1956. Pg. 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Accessed 19 Mar 2020). 47 Glen Castlebury, Staff Writer. “She’s Celebrated Only 14 of Them: A Leap Year Birthday for City’s Mrs. Long.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Feb 29, 1968. Pg. A1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Accessed 19 Mar 2020). 48 Glen Castlebury, Staff Writer. “She’s Celebrated Only 14 of Them: A Leap Year Birthday for City’s Mrs. Long.” 49 Glen Castlebury, Staff Writer. 50 “City Manager, Emma Renew Old Warfare.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Apr 25, 1953. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. (Accessed 19 Mar 2020). 51 “Garbage Crews Go Back to Job: Workmen Win Foreman Demand.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Apr 23, 1953. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. (Accessed 8 October 2021). 52 Patrick George. “Pioneering city leader Emma Long dies.” O’Connell Architecture, LLC Page 20 Miller-Long House Austin, Travis, Texas Long lost her bid for council in 1969. She was bested, likely due to her unwavering support of a fair housing ordinance which was defeated at the polls by voters.53 She returned to work with her husband at the Long News Service and retired after his death in 1977. Newspaper articles of the time often reference her fiery red hair and matching personality.54 She was named Austin’s Women of the Year in 1960 and in 1984 the city council changed the name of City Park to Emma Long Metropolitan Park in her honor, one of her most treasured tributes. Emma Jackson Long died in 2011 at the age of 98. Emma Long is regarded today with fondness as a trailblazer. Her tireless efforts in working for the underrepresented to bring equity and fairness to the people of Austin was unprecedented for her time. Summary The 1929 Miller-Long House in Austin, Texas was built for Tom Miller, a longtime mayor and influential citizen of Austin at a time of transformative growth and development in the city. Miller and his wife Nellie (Miller) Miller lived in the house between 1929 and 1946, during his first mayoral terms. Miller oversaw many public works projects, including Santa Rita Courts in 1939, the first federal housing project completed in the U.S. after President Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act of 1937. During his tenure as mayor from 1933-49 and again from 1955-1961, Miller was responsible for constructing many parks within the city as well as other recreational facilities like Hancock Golf Course, Municipal Golf Course and Deep Eddy. He acquired land to expand Mueller Airport as well as 3,000 acres for Bergstrom Air Force Base. A dam that bears his name was constructed on the Colorado River for the purpose of flood control and for generating hydroelectric power. His support of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs enabled him to bring such projects to Austin, providing much-needed jobs to the city during the depression. Emma Long, another formidable Austin politician, lived in the home some years later. Long became the first woman elected to the Austin city council or any major city council in Texas. She took on important issues including desegregation and fair pay for emergency responders. She fought against inequities in the delivery of city services and was an advocate for fair housing for blacks and Latinos. In 1967, Long was named mayor pro tem by her fellow council members, another first for Austin and any major Texas city. 53 Carol Fowler, Sara Howze, Staff Writers. “LaRue In; Dick Nichols and Emma Long Lose: MacCorkle and Ruiz In Runoff.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). April 6, 1969. Pg. A1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. (Accessed 8 Aug 2021). 54 “Emma Long Running for Council Post.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973). Aug 11, 1948. 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