4.0 - 701 Sparks Ave — original pdf

Backup

HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS NOVEMBER 1, 2023 PR-2023-087312; GF-2023-101917 701 SPARKS AVENUE 4– 1 PROPOSAL Demolish a ca. 1925 house and ca. 1937 secondary structure. ARCHITECTURE One-story Spanish Colonial Revival house with stucco exterior, flat roof with crenellated parapet and hipped roof with terra cotta tile, a partially glazed entry door flanked by simple sidelights, a curved entry porch supported by Classical columns, and 1:1 wood windows with 6:1 screens. The secondary apartment is two stores, also stucco, with double wood garage doors and 1:1 wood windows. RESEARCH The house at 701 Sparks Avenue, originally addressed as 101 Sparks Avenue, was built in 1925 for Knox Thomas and Sallie Rogers Johnson by contractor Marvin Gordon McGaugh. McGaugh built four other Spanish eclectic homes on spec in the Harris Park neighborhood and narrowed his contracting scope to roofing only in the later half of the 1920s. The Johnson house was the only residence built specifically for a client.1 The rise of Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival buildings in the area aligns with Harris Park’s development as a whole; their popularity arose when Hugo Kuehne designed his own nearby home in the style and followed Kuehne’s early involvement in development of Eastwoods Park.2 Knox T. Johnson, son of long-term postmaster and City Clerk John O. Johnson, began his career in Austin as a farmer, but moved into cement and pavement construction. Johnson completed multiple large municipal contracts during the early twentieth century as Austin’s booming economy drove infrastructure improvements. Along with partner Wallace R. Miller—father-in-law of Austin Mayor Tom Miller—Johnson formed Johnson and Miller in 1913. 3 In an informal survey by Austin concrete historian Kelly Dickens, the surveyor notes that Johnson-stamped curbing is among some of the oldest remaining in town. According to Dickens, only 9 Knox T. Johnson stamps remained in 2014.4 Sallie Rogers Johnson was the daughter of Travis County pioneer Ed Rogers5 and aunt to St. Louis Cardinals manager and second baseman Rogers Hornsby, a Hall-of-Famer earning the third-best batting average in history and accolades as the best right-hand hitter of all time.6 After Sallie Johnson’s death in 1942, the family moved away and the house at 701 Sparks spent several years as a rental property. By the 1950s, Virginia Harris, who worked as secretary to the Texas State Board of Insurance Commissioners, had purchased the home. She lived there for at least 10 years. PROPERTY EVALUATION The 2020 North Loop-Hancock-Boggy Creek survey lists the primary building on the property as a high priority and individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as retaining sufficient integrity to contribute to a potential local historic district. The survey lists the secondary building as a medium priority. 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 two criteria: a. Architecture. The building is a good example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with eclectic detailing and is one of only five built by contractor Marvin Gordon McGaugh in the Harris Park neighborhood. b. Historical association. The property is associated with Knox Thomas and Sallie Johnson. c. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. 1 The Austin American (1914-1973); 29 Mar 1925: 2. 2 Interview with historian Terri Myers on her research in the area, 2023. 3 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 19 June 1951: 1. 4 Dickens, Kelly. “Knox T. Johnson.” Curb Appeal: Historical Concrete of Austin, Texas. 2014. https://kellyddickens.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/knox-t-johnson/ 5 Myers, Terri. Audio interview with Diane Hale, 2020. 6 Rogers, C. Paul III. “Rogers Hornsby.” Society for American Baseball Research. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rogers-hornsby/. d. Community value. The property is directly adjacent to Eastwoods Park and represents a significant grouping of Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival homes in Central Austin, precipitated by architect and city planner Hugo Kuehne’s early residential designs in the area. e. Landscape feature. The property does not appear to be a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to the city. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Initiate historic zoning. The building is architecturally unique in style and appears to have significant historical associations. 4– 2 LOCATION MAP PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos Google Maps– 2023 Demolition permit application, 2023 Zillow.com Occupancy History City Directory Research, July 2023 1959 Virginia Harris – secretary, State Board of Insurance Commissioners 1957 Virginia Harris – secretary, State Board of Insurance Commissioners 1955 Virginia Harris – secretary, State Board of Insurance Commissioners 1954 Virginia Harris – secretary, State Board of Insurance Commissioners 1953 Virginia Harris – secretary, State Board of Insurance Commissioners 1952 Irving L. & Dorothy Ravel – Kara-Vel Shoe Stores No. 1 1949 J. Neff & Sarah Mainer – Mainer’s Auto Supplies 1947 J. Neff & Sarah Mainer – Mainer’s Auto Supplies 1944 James M. & Vida Faust – Engineer 1942 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1941 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1940 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1939 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1937 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1932 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1930 Addressed as 101 Sparks Avenue Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1929 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1927 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners 1924 Address not listed. 1935 Knox T. & Sallie Johnson, owners – cement finisher Historical information Sidewalks. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); July 1904: 5. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 27 June 1909: 2 The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 27 Feb 1910: 4. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); Sep 1910: 5. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 28 Apr 1911: 5. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 07 May 1911: 10. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 29 July 1911: 8. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 22 Sep 1911: 8. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 18 Oct 1911: 10. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 10 Oct 1911: 7. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 16 May 1912: 8. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 16 Aug 1912: 8. The Austin Statesman (1902-1915); 20 Jan 1913: 3. The Austin American (1914-1973); 29 Mar 1925: 2. The Austin American, (1921-1973); 30 Sep 1926. Image courtesy of Preservation Central, Inc. via Newspapers.com. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 30 Sep 1926: 1. Image courtesy of Preservation Central, Inc. via Newspapers.com. The Austin American, Sun, Apr 11, 1926. Page 36. Image courtesy of Preservation Central, Inc. via Newspapers.com. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 28 Jan 1928: 5 The Austin American (1914-1973); 01 June 1930: 6. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 02 Jan 1941: 1. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 26 May 1941: 9. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 17 Jan 1942: 7 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 19 June 1951: 1. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); 27 Apr 1959: 10. The Austin American Statesman (1973-1980), Evening ed.; 26 Feb 1975: B2. Dickens, Kelly. “Knox T. Johnson.” Curb Appeal: Historical Concrete of Austin, Texas. 2014. https://kellyddickens.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/knox-t-johnson/ Permits Water tap permit – 1925