07.0 - 2307 Windsor Rd #2 — original pdf

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7 – 1 HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS APRIL 2, 2025 PR-2025-009478; GF-2025-017631 OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT 2307 WINDSOR ROAD #2 PROPOSAL Demolish a ca. 1950 house and outbuilding. ARCHITECTURE 2307 Windsor Road #2 is a two-story Mid-century Modern house with a flat roof, rustic stone and board-and-batten cladding, expansive fixed windows, a substantial stone chimney, and an inset carport at the one-story portion of the house. The building is set back between Windsor and East Windsor Roads, accessible only by a steeply sloped drive behind two street-frontage houses and invisible from both Windsor and East Windsor. Its stepped-down form nestles into the hillside with a two-story bank of windows facing downtown. RESEARCH The house at 2307 Windsor Road #2, originally addressed as 2300 East Windsor Road, was constructed in 1950 for Judge Trueman O’Quinn and his family. O’Quinn, an attorney, graduated from the University of Texas after reporting and editing for the Beaumont Enterprise, the Austin American, and the Daily Texan.1 While still a student, he was elected to the 42nd Texas Legislature representing Jefferson County from 1931 to 1932. After a few years in private practice, O’Quinn worked as an Austin assistant city attorney and was appointed chief City Attorney in 1939, a position he held until 1950. During World War II, he worked as Staff Judge Advocate after the Allied invasion of Normandy and occupation of Germany.2 The Windsor Road house was constructed in 1950, the same year O’Quinn left city government for private practice. Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, he held numerous public and political posts, including 14 years as Travis County’s Democratic Party Chairman and as the official legal counsel for the University of Texas. He was appointed to the Third Court of Civil Appeals in 1967 and served for thirteen years.3 O’Quinn was best known for his role as a prolific collector and prominent amateur historian of William Sydney Porter, the American author known as O. Henry. “For almost half a century he gathered first editions, photos, manuscripts, and other memorabilia. He donated the staggering collection to The O. Henry Resources at the Austin History Center in 1982, a contribution without parallel,” notes Britney Jeffrey in the Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas. “Throughout his adult life, O'Quinn wrote articles and delivered speeches.”4 He was instrumental in saving two O. Henry residences from demolition, though one burned in 1956.5 The other remains as the O. Henry Museum in Brush Square. O’Quinn’s legacy in the historical record is marred by his response to two 1962 Statesman articles soliciting feedback on the City Council’s suggestion to rename Town Lake to Lake Tonkawa. In the articles, which are wrought with racist comments and dismissal of Native American cultural significance typical of the period, O’Quinn’s remarks stand out as particularly concerning. The potential impact of O’Quinn’s racist remarks was bolstered by the author’s introduction of O’Quinn as “Austin attorney and one of the area’s most enthusiastic amateur historians.”6 O’Quinn publicly and emphatically demonized the Tonkawa tribe while presenting himself as an expert on Texas history, along with participating in the systemic erasure of Native American tribes from Texans’ collective memories.7 Thus, it is imperative to carefully view his contributions to the city and state with eyes open to the negative impacts of this overt racism. Despite the fraught legacy of the home’s original occupant, it found a new purpose when occupied by the next generation of the family. Filmmaker Kerry O’Quinn used the property not only as a creative oasis when away from his Los Angeles home, but also as a safe space to host gatherings for Austin’s gay community in the 1970s and 1980s. The house’s secretive location, tucked away on the hillside and accessible only by a turquoise gate at the rear of the property, allowed a relatively 1 Mackey, Wayne.  The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 14 Mar 1948: 4. 2 Britney Jeffrey, “O'Quinn, Trueman Edgar, Sr.,” Handbook of Texas Online, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/oquinn-trueman-edgar-sr. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Barnes, Michael. “Unhappy Twist: O. Henry’s Austin Honeymoon Cottage Went up in Flames.” Austin American-Statesman, June 29, 2018. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2018/06/29/unhappy-twist-o-henrys-austin-honeymoon-cottage-went-up-in-flames/10022639007/. 6 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 23 Apr 1962: 1. 7 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 20 Apr 1962: 1. 7 – 2 secure place for those who, in an era of violence and marginalization, had few public spaces in which to safely gather. As the histories of Austin’s LGBTQ+ community were rarely documented in the period archival sources now available for public use—to protect members as well as out of systemic erasure—further information-gathering from firsthand sources is needed to document the extent of the property’s importance to LGBTQ+ Austinites during the 1970s and early 1980s. DEPARTMENT COMMENTS Case history: On Feb. 13, 2024, a previous owner applied for a demolition permit for the residence at 2307 Windsor Rd. #2. At the time of the demolition application, it came to light that former Historic Preservation Office staff erroneously identified the 2307 Windsor Road #2 as a noncontributing building in 2023 email correspondence with the applicant prior to the demolition permit application filing. An adjacent building with a similar address, 2307 Windsor Road, is noncontributing. The Planning Department director, in consultation with the Law Department, determined that the contributing building must be reviewed by the Historic Landmark Commission to fulfill Code requirements. The Historic Preservation Office staff did not recommend historic zoning at that time. However, since the initial determination of limited significance in early 2024, additional information about the building’s historic associations and significance emerged through community feedback following the initial 2024 hearing, suggesting that the property may meet landmark designation requirements as an important place for Austin’s LGBTQIA+ community during the 1970s. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Old West Austin National Register district. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The property is at least 50 years old and represents a period of significance of at least 50 years ago. The property may also be of exceptional importance as defined by National Register Bulletin 22, National Park Service (1996), and significance past the 50-year period may also be considered for the property’s associations with the LGBTQIA+ community in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 2) The building appears to retain moderate integrity. Some windows have been replaced and water damage appears to have caused the bowing of exterior stone. The O’Quinn family remodeled the house in 1984 per permits, but no record of the extent of the remodel was found; interiors appear to have been altered during that period. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it meets two criteria for landmark designation, but recommends that the Commission’s decision carefully weigh Truman O’Quinn’s impacts on Austin’s history: a. Architecture. The building is constructed with mid-century Modern influences as a Fehr and Granger design. b. Historical association. The property is associated with Judge Trueman O’ Quinn, politician, attorney, justice of the Texas Court of Appeals, and dedicated O. Henry scholar. However, O’Quinn’s documented racism toward the Tonkawa people should be carefully considered when evaluating his overall impact on Austin’s history. The extant O. Henry Museum and University of Texas collections, to which O’Quinn’s research and patronage contributed, currently utilize his work to provide a public good. The property is also associated with noted filmmaker and author Kerry O’Quinn; however, this important occupant is still living and wrote in favor of demolition of the house in 2024. Living occupants are typically not considered when evaluating a property for significance eligibility. More research is needed to determine if O’Quinn’s legacy in the LGBTQIA+ community meets the criterion for historical associations within or closely following the historic period. 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. As a nexus for the Gay community in the 1970s, the property may 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 Commission may wish to discuss the significance of the Enfield Rd. gate as a symbolic entryway to the affirming space within the property. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Consider postponement to the May 7, 2025, public hearing to allow additional time for research and community feedback on the house’s significance as a gathering place for LGBTQ+ Austinites during the period of significance, as well as to invite the applicant to the Architectural Review Committee to provide further feedback on possible alternatives to demolition. Demolition permits in National Register Historic Districts cannot be released until the Historic Landmark Commission has reviewed plans for new construction on the site. LOCATION MAP 7 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos Creede Fitch via Jimmy Gilmore & Co., 2023. https://creedefitch.com/austin-modern-homes/2307-windsor-rd-2 7 – 4 7 – 5 Demolition permit application, 2024 Occupancy History City Directory Research, March 2024 Original entrance from 2300 E. Windsor Road. Google Street View, 2023. 1959 Address listed as 2300 E. Windsor Rd. Trueman E. and Hazel H. O’Quinn, owners – O’Quinn, McDaniel, & Randle, attorneys at law Trueman O’Quinn, Jr. – US Marine Corps Terry O’Quinn – student 1955 Trueman E. and Hazel H. O’Quinn, owners – Hollers, O’Quinn, and Crenshaw, attorneys at law Kerry S. O’Quinn – student 1952 Trueman E. and Hazel H. O’Quinn, owners –Hollers and O’Quinn, attorneys at law Historical Information 7 – 6 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 31 Oct 1929: 7. Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 04 Apr 1941: 6. The  7 – 7 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 19 May 1943: 2. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 09 Aug 1945: 5. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 09 Oct 1946: 7. 7 – 8 Mackey, Wayne.  The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 14 Mar 1948: 4. 7 – 9 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 02 Sep 1948: 24. Douglass, Neal. Trueman O' Quinn Buying The O. Henry Honeymoon Cottage, photograph, April 28, 1949; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth62877/m1/1/: accessed March 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. 7 – 10 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 29 Apr 1949: 15. The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 22 July 1951: B1. 7 – 11 7 – 12 The Capitol Staff.  The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 29 July 1951: A9. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 20 Mar 1952: A6. 7 – 13 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 03 Apr 1953: A6 7 – 14 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 14 July 1954: 17. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 22 July 1954: B13. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 07 May 1956: 1. 7 – 15 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 23 Aug 1956: B1 Barnes, Lorraine.  The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 13 Nov 1956: 13. Weddell, Wray, Jr.  The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 08 May 1960: A1. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 20 Apr 1962: 1. 7 – 16 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 23 Apr 1962: 1. The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 14 June 1964: A19. 7 – 17 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 18 Nov 1965: A22. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 05 Feb 1966: 15. 7 – 18 CAROL McMURTRY Staff Writer.  The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 30 Sep 1966: 1. 7 – 19 7 – 20 GLEN CASTLEBURY Staff Writer.  The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 09 Jan 1967: 1. 7 – 21 HARRIET HUBBARD Staff Writer.  The Austin American - Statesman (1973-1980), Evening ed.; Austin, Tex.. 07 Oct 1974: 9. 7 – 22 Texas State Historical Association: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/oquinn-trueman-edgar-sr 7 – 23 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2018/06/29/unhappy-twist-o-henrys-austin-honeymoon-cottage-went-up-in- flames/10022639007/