THE P RES ER V A TIO N - San Antonio Conservation Society

ADVOCATE
San Antonio Conservation Society
T H E P R E S E RVAT I O N
MOTTO: “SHALL I SAY, ‘YES, I REMEMBER IT,’ OR ‘HERE IT IS, I HELPED TO SAVE IT?” Volume 50, No. 3 Summer 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Preserving The Past.................1
A New Look At The Alamo.....2
442 Vine Street - Before Restoration
Preserving The Past
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Written By: Ron Bauml
he Conservation Society has been
busy this spring helping to preserve
local historic sites and structures.
Three projects, the Miraflores
Park sculpture restoration project,
the stabilization of the stone house at 442
Vine Street, and the stabilization of the Ruiz/
Herrera jacal, demonstrate our commitment
to preserve and encourage the preservation of
San Antonio’s history.
Miraflores
Miraflores is a sculpture park that was created
by the prominent San Antonio physician
Aureliano Urrutia in the 1920s. The City of
San Antonio now owns Miraflores Park, which
is located on the north side of Brackenridge
Park, fronting Hildebrand Avenue. The
Conservation Society targeted two sculptural
pieces in need of attention: the faux bois
palapa bench, and the cherub grotto. Grants
from the Elizabeth Huth Coates Foundation
and the Austin Highway Revitalization
Project, Inc., enabled the Society to hire third
generation faux bois artist Carlos Cortes to
tackle the project.
NIOSA News.......................... 4
Celebrating Preservation
Month..................................... 5
Library Debuts Online Photo
Collection............................... 6
Junior Associates.................... 7
Historic Gas Station Survey... 9
The palapa bench, originally designed and
constructed by Cortes’ great uncle Dionicio
Rodriguez, was precariously close to the
neighboring AT&T parking lot. Cortes
excavated around the massive foundation
of the concrete sculpture, allowing it to be
cribbed with straps and framing support and
safely moved by crane to its new location.
Additionally, Cortes restored the original
detailing including bark-like features on
the bench. The cherub grotto, another of
Rodriguez’s concrete sculptures, was restored
in place. Cortes replaced missing stalactites
and stalagmites, repaired damage to the
cherubs and applied a new finish to match the
original.
Restoration of the Cherub Grotto
Federal Historic Tax Credit At
Risk......................................... 3
World Heritage Nomination.. 8
442 Vine Street - During Restoration
Palapa bench safely moved by crane to its new location
442 Vine Street
The Society also saved an early stone house
on the city’s southeast side. The Grants
Committee allocated funds to 442 Vine Street
to stabilize the deteriorated stonework on the
structure originally built by the Casanovas,
a Canary Island family, over a century ago.
The city’s code compliance department cited
the structure as a danger to public safety;
demolition was imminent. Without the
Society’s intervention, it undoubtedly would
be gone.
Continued on Page 5
A New Look At The Alamo
Written By: Sue Ann Pemberton, FAIA, President
T
“Remember the Alamo”
hat phrase is all too
often tossed about
without
much
thought as to the
real meaning. True
confessions: I am not a native
Sue Ann Pemberton, FAIA
Texan and never took Texas
history, but I’m now convinced that the history taught to
schoolchildren is not the whole story. Since Mayor Castro
created the Alamo Plaza Advisory Committee, where
I serve as tri-chair, I have learned the complex history
presented by scholars sharing their perspectives. This has
been enlightening for me, so I offer to you a brief outline
of the history of the Alamo. Every aspect of that history is
important in how we should “Remember the Alamo.”
During the Early History Period (prehistory to 1721), the
Coahuiltecans, indigenous tribes of South Texas that may
have shared similar languages, thrived for thousands of years
prior to the existence of San Antonio de Valero. Written
records of this period are scarce, but scholars believe disease
and warfare displaced these Native Americans and many
survivors sought refuge in the missions. Their descendants
come to Alamo Plaza annually to celebrate their heritage as
they remember their ancestors at the Alamo.
The Mission Period (1724 to 1793) announced the arrival
of the Spanish conquistadors, claiming land far from the
French in Louisiana by establishing a colony here. The
Spanish hoped to “create a self-sufficient population
that would continue to exist and grow.” That community
certainly exists today and its growth and prosperity is still
visible in Spanish-style architecture, Catholicism, and
other cultural influences.
The Spanish Military Period (1800 to 1821) took place
after the Alamo was secularized and its contents divided
among the locals. It soon became a frontier outpost and
military garrison. The name “Alamo” took hold during this
time period, after the Alamo Company of soldiers. Still
serving as a military garrison, the Alamo spent the Mexican
Military Period (1821 to 1835) under the rule of the
Republic of Mexico, instead of Spain. Immigration from the
United States to this new nation was initially encouraged but
quickly met with opposition from the Mexican government.
The Texas Revolution Period (1835 to 1836) has probably
been the most misinterpreted or, perhaps, under-interpreted
time period. Only recently has scholarly research broadened
the potential for better and more inclusive interpretation.
Recently, I learned that the defenders of the Alamo were not
really defending the mission at all, but defending the growing
town of San Antonio, underscoring our city’s importance
in the struggle to form an independent Republic of Texas.
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During the Republic of Texas Period (1836 to 1845),
citizens of San Antonio experienced ongoing hostilities as
Mexican troops continued to raid the city. The Alamo was
battered, war-torn, pillaged and occupied at times by the
Republic of Texas troops. In the Early Statehood Period
(1845 to 1861), all Texas forts transferred to the US Army,
and the Alamo was occupied as a supply depot. During this
time, the iconic parapet was constructed and the first roof
was installed on the church in lieu of demolition. The Long
Barrack was rebuilt and converted to a warehouse.
Texas seceded from the Union to join the Confederate States,
so as the Civil War Period (1861 to 1865) began, the US
Army was ordered out, leaving the Alamo under Confederate
control. The US Army returned in 1865, beginning the PostCivil War Period (1865 to 1877). San Antonio grew rapidly,
and so Fort Sam Houston was constructed to accommodate
the Army’s needs. The Late 19th Century Period (18771900) brought change as the Archdiocese agreed to sell
the old missions to the city. San Antonio prospered with
commercial development taking place in and around the
Alamo.
The Modern Period (1900-present) challenged the city as
leaders scratched their heads and wondered what to do with
the deteriorating relic. Just as they do today, the press tried to
influence the opinions of what should happen with the Alamo
and the surrounding grounds. The Conservation Society
collaborated with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas
in 1925 to co-sponsor a public meeting, seeking purchase
of the remaining private property adjacent to the Alamo
church. Suggestions for the historic space range from
demolition of the church for a plaza to reconstruction of
the Texas Revolution Period compound and everything in
between.
Remember the Alamo? Absolutely! But how can it be
remembered and interpreted by and for all the people of
Texas? This is the question that the Alamo Plaza Advisory
Committee must address. Let the process work.
The Alamo, 1868, Covered wagons, 2355L-H,
University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections
Federal Historic Tax Credit At Risk
L
Written By: Bruce MacDougal, Executive Director
ast year, preservationists across Texas were
giddy about the passage of legislation creating a
state rehabilitation tax credit. A little late to the
dance, Texas became the 33rd state to adopt a
state credit that provides a financial incentive
for developers to rehabilitate historic buildings. As in most
states, our state credit mirrors that of the highly successful
federal rehabilitation tax credit program, allowing the
state incentive to be paired with the federal incentive. In
our case, this provision more than doubles the incentive
to rehabilitate qualified historic buildings. The bedrock of
federal historic preservation incentives, the federal credit,
provides a policy solution for enabling developers to choose
rehabilitation over demolition and new construction.
and creating jobs. Rehabilitation
is more labor intensive than new
construction, so more money
goes into jobs and specialized
crafts.
In San Antonio, the list of
Bruce MacDougal
buildings rehabilitated using the
historic tax credit is long. Only Dallas surpasses us for the
number of projects in Texas. Think of the Aztec Theater,
the Dullnig Building, the Crockett Hotel, the Emily Morgan
Hotel (historically the Medical Arts Building), the Rand
Building and the Bushnell Apartments, to name a few.
Think of the buildings that are waiting for redevelopment
because the numbers just do not work now. With combined
Just as we, at the local level, are gearing up to learn about federal and state credits, reuse may become feasible. The
the state’s rules now being formulated, we are mobilizing Lone Star Brewery, Friedrich Building, the University Block,
a campaign to save the federal historic tax credit. In an and the many smaller vacant and underutilized downtown
era where there is a push to streamline government and buildings, come to mind.
simplify tax programs, there is momentum in Washington
to repeal the historic tax credit. Congressman Dave
Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means
Committee, released a discussion draft of his Tax Reform
Act on February 26, 2014; it would phase out the tax credit
by 2016. Although Camp’s efforts did not move forward this
year, the succeeding chairman to this critically important
committee will begin deliberations on tax reform for 2015
without knowing about the economic, environmental
and social values of the historic tax credit. Why should
developers, who already make a lot of money from the real
estate deals, continue to take advantage of the program? If
the government lowers the federal tax burden across the
board, should that not free up opportunities for charitable
giving to historic preservation?
Lone Star Brewery
Lawmakers in Congress do not get the point. The
success of this program, since its inception in 1976, is
well documented. Every dollar of tax credit leverages
four dollars of private investment. The majority of the
buildings that qualify for the rehabilitation tax credit are in
economically depressed areas and their rehabilitation is a
core element of community revitalization. Since President
Reagan’s administration, the historic tax credit program
has leveraged $109 billion in private investment in 40,000
income-producing buildings in our communities. The
program is not about restoring buildings as museums. It is
about putting vacant or underperforming historic buildings
to new economically viable uses, producing tax revenue
The Conservation Society is a part of the coalition to save
the historic tax credit. We are committed to doing the
best we can to educate Congress about the importance of
this critical financial tool to our community, our state and
the nation. Here we are at the cusp of being able to utilize
truly meaningful incentives to create new uses for the older
buildings we have wisely kept from demolition. We cannot
afford to miss out on this unprecedented opportunity.
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NIOSA® News (Inside the Egg)
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Written By: Barb Machado, NIOSA® Chair
HANK YOU to
our volunteers for
your hard work to
stage your areas
and your booths, to
prepare and sell your product,
and to tear it all down after the
event. And, also to those who
work year round to provide
our wonderful flowers and
cascarones.
THANK YOU to all of our San
Barb Machado
Antonio Conservation Society
employees for always being there to pitch in to help with
NIOSA® related projects and unusual or emergency chores
that are certainly not in your normal job description.
Staging NIOSA® on an Easter weekend was going to be
tough. In the beginning many were reluctant to do it – so,
what really happened? These are just a very few examples:
On Saturday, Patti Zaiontz, Mexican Market Chair, came
with 50 family/friends to get her 25 booths up and running
by the late afternoon; 30 volunteers showed up to assist
Terry Schoenert, Sauerkraut Bend Chair. Sunday morning,
at 6 am, Leticia Diaz, French Quarter chair, had her entire
team moving and finished in time for all to make church!
A new neighbor in the Lavaca neighborhood (never involved
with NIOSA®) put aside his planned Saturday restoring his
house to bring his tool bag and join the crew in building
booths and a stage in Haymarket.
With 250 booths to staff, there will always be “no shows” or
“late cancellations”, but, in every case, our volunteers stepped
up to make it happen. Here are just a few examples: Nicole
THANK YOU to our members for purchasing your NIOSA® Keith, China Town, Area Chair working afternoon shifts
tickets and coming to enjoy the event.
in the kitchen to make sure there were enough Bongo-KTHANK YOU to the general public – visitors to our city Bobs for a booth in Froggy Bottom; Barry Sanders, Kitchen
and our wonderful community – for your attendance and Supervisor, changing out of his work duds to pitch in to fry
Won Tons in China Town and cook chicken in South of the
participation that pushed our results to the top of the list!
Border; and a last minute call to staff members from the
In the Spring 2014 issue of the Preservation Advocate, it was SACS headquarters resulted in a smiling team helping to
the Pride, the Passion and the People that prompted me to sell Pollo Ranchero on several nights in South of the Border.
accept the challenges of being NIOSA® chairman. Now that
the event is over, I can say without hesitation those three These examples are just the tip of the iceberg – with much
words couldn’t have described it better - the job was one of more included in issue (NIOSA® NEWS – “Inside the Egg)
that you will find on the NIOSA.org website.
total joy!
So, were we successful? YOU BET!
The special wrap-up “NIOSA® NEWS” issue is already
Will
NIOSA® get better? ABSOLUTELY!
posted on the NIOSA® website; it describes in greater detail
What is the key to our success? YOU!
many of the people who gave so much of their time and
talent to the event, to recognize local businesses whose
THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL
contributions help make the event so successful and lots
for all you did to make NIOSA® #66 one of our best!
and lots of numbers to share that will make you proud.
NIOSA® lost three wonderfully loyal and devoted volunteers
before we opened our gates. Their spirits were with us; our
memories of their involvement and kinship will always be
treasured. Wayne Bowden served in so many capacities it
would be difficult to list them all. Marilyn Engelking, always
a faithful volunteer no matter the job, was with us for well
over 25 years. Duvinda Martinez, a delightful and happy
grandmother, gave 30 years of effort, working alongside her
family in the Sopapilla booth in Frontier Town. (A special
page in the NIOSA® NEWS has been dedicated to these wonderful
volunteers.)
It is impossible to stage an event as large as NIOSA® and
not have unexpected situations and challenges to face and
resolve. Without hesitation, I can say – we met them all
head on and kept moving forward. This can happen only
through people who want NIOSA® to succeed.
4
Preservation - Continued from Page 1
Restoration stone mason Baltazar Espinosa
worked his magic on the structure, replacing
missing and deteriorated stone, plaster, and
whitewash to prevent the building from
collapsing. The current owner, Connie Reyes,
plans to continue improvements so this house
can return to use as a home.
Ruiz/Herrera Jacal
The Ruiz/Herrera jacal in south Bexar County
represents the vernacular architecture common
to Hispanic Texas farms and ranches in the
early to mid-nineteenth century. The Society’s
Board of Directors allocated funds to stabilize
the badly deteriorated walls of this early
Tejano structure. The walls were constructed
of vertically spaced cedar posts and horizontal
wood strips, called lath, between the posts. The
material used to fill in the remaining space
between was a combination of stone rubble and
any other durable material near the building
site, including animal bones. Builders chinkedin the walls with adobe mud and plaster, and
finally whitewashed the surfaces.
Restoration stone mason Baltazar Espinosa
stabilized the jacal walls using traditional
methods and materials. Although the
structural integrity of the walls is much better
now, the little house still has a long way to go
before it can be livable again. Hopefully its
current owners, Ruiz/Herrera descendants, can
continue restoring this little gem.
Ruiz/
Herrera Jacal
Before Restoration
The Preservation
Advocate is published
by the San Antonio
Conservation Society.
Send letters, article(s)
or comments to:
publications@
saconservation.org.
Submission Deadline
for the Fall Newsletter
is Friday, August 29th
107 King William St,
San Antonio, TX 78204
Phone: 210.224.6163
Fax: 210.224.6168
www.saconservation.org
The purpose for which
the San Antonio
Conservation Society was
formed is to preserve
and encourage the
preservation of historic
Ruiz/
buildings, objects, places
Herrera Jacal
and customs relating to
the history of Texas, its
During Restoration
natural beauty and all
that is admirable and
distinctive to our State;
and by such physical and
cultural preservation
to keep the history of
Texas legible and intact,
Written By: Christine Luttrell, Historic Preservation Month & Seminar Committee Chair and
to educate the public,
Margaret Priesmeyer, Historic Preservation Month & Seminar Committee Member
especially the youth of
today and tomorrow
very year during the month of May, Other highlights of the activities that took place
with knowledge of our
the National Trust for Historic over the course of the month include:
inherited regional values.
Preservation encourages preservation • Tuesday, May 6th: The 2014 Proclamation
organizations to highlight, showcase was presented to the Conservation Society
Publications
and celebrate the important work by Bexar County. This ceremony was held
Committee:
they do by organizing lectures and activities for in the County Commissioners’ Court at the
Isabel Garcia,
the people in their communities. This year’s Bexar County Courthouse. President Sue Ann
Publication Chair
theme was titled, “New Age of Preservation: Pemberton, Bruce MacDougal, Jenny Hay and
(Editor);
Embark, Inspire, Engage.”
Georgia
Henley-Grubb,
the Chairperson of the Preservation Month,
th
Vice
Chair
(Publication);
To that end, on Thursday, May 8 , the San Christine Luttrell, attended.
Loretta Huddleston,
Antonio Conservation Society, in concert • Friday, May 9th:
The San Antonio
with the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Conservation Society, in concert with the Vice Chair (Yearbook);
Stella De La Garza;
Preservation and UTSA, hosted a lecture Office of Historic Preservation, sponsored the
given by Peg Breen, president of the New York Amazing Preservation Race for Adults. The
Jackie Fellers;
Landmarks Conservancy entitled, “New York event was held at La Villita.
Mary Fisher;
City Preservation: At the Pinnacle or on the
June
Kachtik;
Precipice.” The lecture was followed by a lovely • Saturday, May 17th: The 2014 Proclamation
Larry Segesman;
reception held on the 4th floor balcony of the was presented to the Conservation Society
Linda
Segesman;
Frio Building on the UTSA downtown campus. by the City of San Antonio. This ceremony
Dorothy Schulze;
Participants enjoyed wine, hors d’oeuvres and was held in the City Council Chambers and
the opportunity to visit with Ms. Breen and the was attended by Bruce MacDougal, Christine
Virginia Van Cleave;
UTSA faculty against a fabulous panoramic Luttrell, Patricia Seidenberger and Carolyn
Linda Zimmermann;
view of the city. The following day, Ms. Breen Frost. In addition, the Conservation Society
and Tammy Dorsey,
also participated in a training workshop for sponsored the Amazing Preservation Race
Staff Liaison
members of the City’s Historic & Design for Kids in Monte Vista. Farrah Varga and
Review Commission and the staff of the Office Adrienne Swonder from the Steves Homestead
assisted in organizing the event.
of Historic Preservation.
The Conservation Society Celebrates National
Preservation Month
E
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Spring 2014
Donations
Library Debuts 1st Historic Photo Collection Online
O
Written By: Beth Standifird, Librarian
ur library has a wealth of over
13,000 photographs, each offering
insight into San Antonio’s history
from the mid-nineteenth to the
Bricks & Mortar Friend
early twenty-first centuries. Prior
Miss Maralessa Gonzales to this year, when the Capital Club funded the
Mr. R. Lane Riggs
hiring of intern Elizabeth Pople to start scanning
our collections, these photos remained hidden
Foundation Builder
on the shelves, telling their stories to one library
Mr. Jabby Lowe
patron at a time.
Mrs. Martha S. Fleitas
With Elizabeth’s assistance, the library has taken
Miss C Rodriguez
its first steps towards its two main digitization
goals: to better preserve its photos by creating
digital images for both routine use and backup purposes, and to make the photo content
accessible to a wider audience via the Internet.
Elizabeth has been instrumental not only in
scanning and adding images to our online
catalog, but in improving the description of
the photos, clarifying dates, and identifying
specific buildings in many of the streetscapes.
Currently, just over 475 images from both
the Ernst Raba Collection and the Restricted
Collection can be viewed in digital form using
the library’s online catalog. Here is an overview
of the types of photos you will find:
Preservation Corner
Ms. Joanne E Holshouser
Memorials &
Honorariums
The Raba Collection consists of 246 photographs
made or reproduced by Ernst Raba, an early San
Antonio photographer and artist. The bulk of
In Memory of
this collection documents San Antonio’s changing
Marilyn Engelking
physical appearance, c. 1853 to c. 1939. It includes
By Sylvia Cutler,
streetscapes and buildings, with a few notable
Chris Turner,
portraits, such as Jose Antonio Navarro’s. This
Chita Harris, and
collection is completely digitized.
Barbara S. Hagen
The Restricted Collection (so named because of the
In Memory of
fragile condition of many of the photos) consists of
Edith May Winters Herring 336 photos with a date range from the 1850s to the
By School Teachers of
1920s. In contrast to the Raba Collection’s focus
Holy Spirit Catholic School, on buildings, some of these photos document local
Barbara T. Powell, and events, such as floods and parades. This collection
also depicts a wide range of people, including
Gloria M. Bielstein
aguadors, bird-sellers, firefighters, military men,
In Memory of
and students. All of the text records are available for
Alice Ives
viewing and 88% of the photos have been scanned
By Donna Lane,
and uploaded.
Emma Kuempel,
David & Kathy Sandera,
Marjorie Arnold, and
Betty Close
In Honor of
Sue Ann Pemberton
By Jack Judson, Jr.
In Honor of
Pat & Bill Seyfried
By Evalene Camp and
Mary Chapman
6
Mid-Century Modern
Use the library’s online catalog to
easily access thes historic images
The University of North Texas’ Portal to Texas
History, which provides online access to the
digitized collections of well-known historical
institutions throughout the state, represents
another vehicle for the library’s digital outreach
efforts. We have already sent scanned images
of the complete Raba Collection to the Portal,
which is the first step necessary for inclusion.
The second step, which will need to be
undertaken next fiscal year, involves the entry of
the descriptive information for each photo into
UNT’s template for uploading onto their site.
This year, Capital Club funding allowed us
to lay the groundwork for a successful photo
digitization program in support of the Society’s
mission to preserve local history and to educate
the public. Continued intern assistance in the
coming year would enable us to complete the
Raba and Restricted Collection projects and
to continue building on the progress we have
made towards greater information accessibility.
This assistance would give the library the
ability to open up a new avenue of outreach,
using our Virtual Exhibit software to create
online photo exhibits drawn from the several
hundred historic images already stored in our
catalog system. We could also respond to the
need for readily available information about
historically significant buildings downtown
by beginning the digitization of the 1982 San
Antonio Downtown Historic Resources Survey.
This phased project would ultimately make the
survey sheets, together with over 1,000 building
photos, available online in a searchable format
for the first time.
Written By: Christena Crawford, Mid-Century Modern Committee Chair
The Mid-Century Modern (MCM) committee, a new San Antonio Conservation Society
committee, was formed and organized in August 2013. As chairperson of the committee, I
worked with Elizabeth Porterfield and San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) staff
as well as the Conservation Society members and staff to put in motion the first MCM survey
of commercial buildings in San Antonio. With the assistance from the OHP, the committee
determined the scope of the first survey area, completed hands-on survey training, created
and revised the MCM survey form and produced an information sheet listing common MCM
characteristics. By late spring, the MCM Committee achieved the goal of completing all surveys
in the “River North” area.
Junior Associates - Preservation Of Our Past
Written By: Virginia Van Cleave, Junior Associates Chair
Photos By: Dorothy Schulze, Active Member
he final 2013-2014 meeting of the
Ryder Moore, Emerald Ann Pedroza, Brittany
San Antonio Conservation Society
Van Cleave, Joseph Van Cleave and William
Junior Associates was held on
Van Cleave and four potential members: Sara
Saturday, May 3rd, at the home of
Mueller, Anna Mueller, Jodie Lopez and Jacob
Chairman Virginia Van Cleave. In
Lopez. Many parents and grandparents were
celebration of Historic Preservation Month,
also in attendance. Food served was typical of
Cathy and Chuck Jones joined us in authentic
what would have been served in early Texas.
pioneer attire for a living history presentation
At the first meeting of the school year,
and demonstration. They gave a hands-on
each Junior Associate member was given a
demonstration on how rope is made using a
passport listing the six meetings and four
spinning technique. Junior Associates had
optional learning opportunities that were
the hands-on opportunity to make their own
scheduled. Passports were punched each
rope. There was an exhibition of irons from
month to encourage attendance. The three
the early Chinese to modern electric irons
prize categories for number of highest number
and an exhibit and explanation of thimbles
of punches were First, Second and Third. All
throughout history. Junior Associates were
Junior Associate Members were presented a
each given a leather thimble and told how
red, white, and blue lanyard with a WINNER
and why they were used. Junior Associates
medal. Miss Emily Margaret, our goose mascot,
attending were Ryan Barry, Kyle Dorsey, Kevin
was present at all activities, as we strived to
Dorsey, Kaiden Dorsey, Mariah Flores, Briana
preserve and to encourage the preservation of
Flores, Leslie Fuentes, Claudia Gonzales,
historic buildings, objects, places and customs
Kendyl Hanna, Riley Parker, Ashtyn Moore,
relating to the history of Texas.
T
Reminder To All
Junior Associates
It’s time for Junior
Associates to begin a
new year of preservation
education, service and
fun. Please renew your
membership today!
Deadline for Renewal
08.31.2014
Renew Online
www.saconservation.org/
MembershipSupport/
BecomeaMember.aspx
Or call Tammy Dorsey
210.224.6163 to request an
application by mail.
A Look Back at
2013-2014 Activities
September
General Meeting
and
Living History Timeline
October
San Jose Archaeology Day
Pilgrimage to the Alamo - April 21, 2014
Riley, Ashtyn, Ms. Dorsey, & Kaiden lay the
Society wreath in front of the Alamo
King William Fair Parade - April 26, 2014
May Meeting - May 3, 2014
Riley and Brittany, wave to the crowd as
A lesson in history, Mr. & Mrs. Jones display their
they ride in the Classic 1929 Ford Model A
collection of antique irons to Mrs. Van Cleave.
2014 Fiesta Parades
November
General Meeting
at the Alamo
December
Written By: Anne-Marie Prince Jones, San Antonio Conservation Society Receptionist/Secretary
General Meeting
January
Mystery Tour
February
Stock Show & Rodeo
March
The
Conservation
Society
represented the “Wild West” in
this year’s “River Wild” themed
Texas Cavaliers’ River Parade on
April 21st. Conservation Society
President turned Sheriff, Sue Ann
Pemberton, ponied up with board
members turned saloon girls - 2nd
Vice President Janet Dietel, 3rd
Vice President Allison Elder, 5th
Vice President Barbara Lawrence
and Publications & Yearbook
Committee chair Isabel Garcia.
Ashlee Rose, Texas Music Award’s
2013 Female Vocalist of the Year,
and members of the Ashlee Rose
Band rounded out the Wild West
theme by providing musical
accompaniment.
On Friday, April 25th, President
Sue Ann Pemberton, her husband
Gerry Haugh, and daughter
Sarah Jane Villarreal, rode in the
back of a 1929 Ford Model A
truck, portraying characters from
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
in the Battle of Flowers Parade.
The theme for this parade was
“The Magic of Make Believe” and
Ft. Sam Houston
Tour and Picnic
the Conservation Society entry
received 2nd place in the antique
vehicle category.
April
Saturday night’s Fiesta Flambeau Pilgrimage to the Alamo
parade featured NIOSA® staff and
volunteers riding in an illuminated King William Fair Parade
antique Ford Model A truck. The
May
theme for the parade was “A Time
to Remember” and participants Final General Meeting
included: NIOSA® chair Barb and Awards Presentation
Machado, Cindy Smith, Rose
Moran, Loraine Zaiontz, Melissa
Fertitta, Jackie Fellers and Yvonne
Gonzales.
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Welcome New
Associate Members
Mr. Michael Aguirre
Mr. Roger Alex
Ms. Mardi Arce
Mr. Dennis Barnes
J. Bruns
Mrs. Kathleen Carter
Mr. Charles V. L. Elia
Ms. Irene Estrada
Ms. Susan Everidge
Ms. Joyce Felter
Mrs. Cynthia Guerrero
Ms. Julie Hamilton
Miss Yvonne Herrera
Ms. Sonia Hogeland
Mrs. Becky Karp
Mrs. Carol M. King
Ms. Babs Krszjzaniek
Ms. Laura Loya
Mr. Richard Loza
Mrs. Sharon Lynch
Mrs. Anna Martinez
Ms. Ann McMullan
Mr. Esequiel Menouzl
Mr. Robert Merrill
Mrs. Carol Meyer
Mrs. Anita C. Parazo
Ms. Elizabeth Pople
Ms. Samantha Reed
Mr. Marcus Rosales
Ms. Sandra Rutten-Reyes
Mrs. Chelsea Ryden
Ms. Jennifer Schaefer
Miss Tobin Simpson
Ms. Kathleen Smyth
Ms. Aurora Steele
Ms. Elena Valenzuela
Mr. Tommy Villa
Mr. Joseph Villarreal
Mrs. Sarah Jane Villarreal
Mr. Eugene A. Willette
Mrs. Eugene A. Willette
Mrs. Valerie Williams
8
San Antonio Missions World Heritage Nomination:
An Encouraging Update
I
Written By: Jenny Hay, PhD, Preservation Outreach Manager
n January, Secretary of the Interior
Sally Jewell officially submitted the
nomination of the San Antonio Missions
as a World Heritage Site to UNESCO.
Her action represents the culmination of
over seven years of efforts, coordinated by the
San Antonio Conservation Society in tandem
with the National Park Service, Los Compadres
de San Antonio Missions National Historical
Park, the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio,
and countless other experts and advocates. The
nomination, painstakingly composed by a team
of world-renowned scholars, passed through
a number of reviews and revisions before its
completion; the document can be viewed in the
San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation
Library. The fate of the nomination now rests
with the International Council on Monuments
and Sites (ICOMOS), who will visit the site this
summer to determine the whether or not the
Missions:
• bear testimony of an outstanding universal
value;
• meet the criteria of the Operational
Guidelines;
• meet the conditions of authenticity and
integrity;
• have adequate legal protection and
satisfactory management processes.
ICOMOS then will present its recommendation
at the summer 2015 meeting of the World
Heritage Committee, which is made up of a
rotating assembly of 21 representatives from
countries that signed the original World
Heritage Convention. One nomination
from the United States will be considered at
the summer 2014 meeting: Poverty Point,
an archaeological site in eastern Louisiana.
ICOMOS has recommended deferral for
Poverty Point due to three troubling issues:
a highway which currently bisects the site,
inadequate buffer zone, and a property line that
ICOMOS thinks should be expanded. We hope
that San Antonio’s long history of sensitive care
and interpretation of our missions, led by the
Conservation Society, will help us avoid these
pitfalls.
While you may be thinking that success for our
nomination is all but assured, another obstacle
still must be overcome before the approval of
the designation. In November 2013, the United
Rachel Jacobson addresses city leaders at
Preservation Month kick-off
States lost voting rights in the UNESCO general
assembly after failing to pay dues for two
consecutive years. Two laws, passed in 1990 and
1994, prohibited the US from paying its dues
because in 2011, UNESCO admitted Palestine
as a member. The San Antonio Conservation
Society has been working hard with leaders in
Washington, DC to come up with a solution
for this dilemma. Most recently, Congressman
Pete Gallego submitted language to allow the
payment of a portion of the dues directly to the
World Heritage program. Similar waivers have
been introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu
and Congressman Rodney Alexander in past
years.
Although it is unclear whether the loss of the
vote by the US will affect the San Antonio
Missions nomination, we continue to advocate
for the payment of our UNESCO dues. In May,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Fish and Wildlife and Parks Rachel Jacobson
visited San Antonio during the celebration of
Preservation Month. Appearing at a number of
events, including a Garden Breakfast hosted by
the San Antonio Conservation Society at the
Steves Homestead, Ms. Jacobson confidently
reassured her audiences that the outstanding
universal value of the Missions will be
recognized by ICOMOS and the World Heritage
Committee. Her optimism was uplifting – the
work of the San Antonio Conservation Society
with our community partners will persevere
in the face of these difficulties, as it has for 90
years!
The Historic Gas Station Survey–The Past, Present & Future
Historic
Gas Station
Survey
Written By: Kathy Krnavek, Historic Gas Station Committee Chair
Photos By: Members of the Historic Gas Station Committee
ver the past two years, the Historic website that will support and promote the data
Gas Station Committee has been which will be searchable through a link from
hard at work documenting and both the Conservation Society and the Office
compiling information in a of Historic Preservation websites. Elizabeth
re-survey of the original 1983 Porterfield, with the OHP, has also requested
historic gas station survey. Each gas station that the committee identify gas stations worthy
was revisited and photographed and pertinent of being nominated for historic designation. It
information recorded on a survey form. From is very exciting to think that these lovely pieces
the research and documentation gathered, of roadside architecture would be recognized
Survey began 2012
the committee created a database by scanning in this way.
Re-creation of 1983
the old and new survey forms and digitally So where does the committee go from here?
survey of stations
converting all slides, photographs and other Next year the committee will begin to survey
contained within the
data.
stations built between 1940 and original 36 square mile
city limits and built
Now that the resurvey is complete
1970 and extend the scope of the
and a database created, the intent
project to include all properties between 1915 and 1940.
of the committee is to share it
located within and on Loop 410.
with other interested parties. To
Representing a period of change All properties revisited,
photographed and a
this end, they are in the process
in architecture, the survey
survey form filled out
of applying for grant funding
will encompass a wide and
to hire an intern to develop a
interesting variety of stations.
Database developed
with original 1983
th
surveys scanned, digital
picture conversions of
slides, and all data and
Mrs. William Christilles
pictures from the past
th
two years entered.
O
50 Anniversary Members
25 Anniversary Members
Mr. A E Frankland
Mr. Brad Dietrich
Mr. Bryce Milligan
Mr. Douglas J Piper
Mr. Guadalupe S Gutierrez
Mr. H Glenn Huddleston
Mr. Jerome Zimmermann
Mr. Jonathan E Becerril
Mr. Louis C Romano Jr
Mr. Martine Theurer
Mr. Ralph Brown
Mr. Robert S Penshorn
Mr. Tom E Turner IV
Mr. Tom F Shelton
Mrs. Carol D White
Mrs. Charles R Blank
Mrs. Deborah Sibley
Mrs. E Jane Mason
Mrs. Jack Watson
Mrs. James W Todd
Mrs. Joe A Arrambide
Mrs. Judy Barnes
Mrs. Martha A Gutierrez
Mrs. Priscilla Kaiser
Mrs. Sophia L Becerril
Mrs. Velma L Galle
Mrs. William P. Tennant
Ms. Edwina R Kolbinskie
Ms. Jean Mary Pace
Ms. Leslie D Chandler
Ms. Terri Huddleston
Ms. Virginia de la Zerda
2014-2015 Elections
Elected Officers
Sue Ann Pemberton, President
Janet Dietel, First Vice President
Stella De La Garza, Second Vice President
Allison Elder, Third Vice President
Barb Machado, Fourth Vice President
Barbara Lawrence, Fifth Vice President
Patti Zaiontz, Secretary
Kathy DeWaal, Treasurer
Appointed Officers
Janet Francis, Advisor
Ron Stinson, Chaplain
Christine Turner, Historian
Loretta Huddleston, Parliamentarian
Jackie Fellers, NIOSA Assistant Treasurer
Torrey Stanley Carleton
Christena Crawford
Barbara Hall
Charles Hansen
Joan Gaither
Frederica Kushner
Mary Rogers
Patricia Seidenberger
Jody Williams
Margaret Winn
Current Defined Uses:
Commercial...........207
Vacant Lots..............53
Parking Lots............41
Gas Stations.............24
Domestic..................14
Educational................4
Institutional...............4
Religious....................3
Industrial...................3
Governmental...........2
Mixed Use..................2
Other........................23
Unknown.................37
Newly Elected Directors
9
107 King William Street
San Antonio, Texas 78204-1312
Return Service Requested
Upcoming Events
Texas Star Trail
Now Here!
Wednesday, July 23rd
Board Meeting - River House, 12:00 pm
Saturday, July 26th
STAA Quarterly Meeting - 12:30pm - 4:00 pm
Institute of Texan Cultures-Connally Rm 801 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd
Limited free parking. Guest Speaker Amy Reid, CAS and Cynthia Munoz, CAR
Wednesday, August 20th
Board Meeting - Location TBD, 12:00 pm
River House closed for remodeling
July 24, 2014 - September 13, 2014
Please contact the office for questions about joining the San Antonio Conservation Society, renewing
membership or how to volunteer. 210-224-6163