10.n - 2514 Wooldridge Drive - public comment — original pdf

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From: To: Subject: Date: Historic Preservation Office; Contreras, Kalan; McKnight, Kim 2514 Wooldridge Drive - public comment Wednesday, October 1, 2025 11:08:28 AM You don't often get email from Learn why this is important External Email - Exercise Caution To Whom It May Concern, We, the owners of 2805 Wooldridge Drive in Pemberton Heights, strongly object to the application to demolish 2514 Wooldridge Drive. Like many of the historically significant homes on Wooldridge drive, 2514 Wooldridge was built in the 1930s and represents an important example of early Pemberton Heights architecture and it is worthy of preservation. Specifically, the house under consideration for demolition is a historic Georgian bridal house that has been deemed a contributing structure to our neighborhood. Demolition of this historic home would be devastating to the architectural continuity and historic fabric of Wooldridge Drive. As owners and caretakers of 2805 Wooldridge Drive, we worked for over 3 years to restore our architecturally significant home. Our house is one of very few remaining structures in Austin designed by Arthur Fehr and Charles Granger. Designed and built for Dr. Charles Milton and Gertrude “Queenie” Darnall in 1941, our two-story stone-veneered house may be the first example of an International Style house built in Austin. With origins in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, American architects of the style included Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Philip Johnson. Our work and attention to the significance of this property earned historic landmark designation by the City of Austin and the State of Texas and a preservation Austin award in 2017. The original homes in Pemberton Heights are highly unique and are artifacts of the City of Austin’s early development. Many of the homes were designed and built before World War II. Simply put, they are irreplaceable. Preserving these houses makes it possible for future generations to experience this irreplaceable piece of Austin’s history. For the reasons described in this letter, we respectfully ask you to deny the application for demolition of 2514 Wooldridge Drive. Respectfully, Holly Lanham CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT at "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov".