Final Report
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City of Fredericksburg Historic Resources Survey: Phase I FINAL REPORT February 2019 Prepared by: Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. 8401 Shoal Creek Boulevard, Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78757 512‐338‐2223 Prepared for: City of Fredericksburg, Texas Kemah, Texas 77565 Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... ii Appendices ................................................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ iii 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Report Terminology ...................................................................................................................... 3 3. Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1. Research and Context Development ............................................................................................ 4 3.2. Fieldwork Preparation ................................................................................................................... 5 3.3. Field Survey ................................................................................................................................... 5 3.4. Post‐Field Processing and Evaluation ........................................................................................... 6 4. National Register of Historic Places, Local Designation, and Preservation Priority Overview ............. 7 4.1. NRHP ............................................................................................................................................. 7 4.1.1. NRHP Significance ..................................................................................................................... 7 4.1.2. NRHP Integrity .......................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.3. NRHP Period of Significance ..................................................................................................... 8 4.1.4. NRHP Districts ........................................................................................................................... 9 4.2. City of Fredericksburg Local Designation ...................................................................................... 9 4.2.1. Individual Local Landmarks ....................................................................................................... 9 4.2.2. Local Historic Districts ............................................................................................................ 10 4.3. Preservation Priority Ratings ...................................................................................................... 10 5. Historic Context ................................................................................................................................... 12 5.1. Settlement and Early Growth (1846–c. 1880) ............................................................................ 12 5.2. The Victorian Era (c. 1880–1920s) .............................................................................................. 16 5.3. Modern Era (1920s–1960s) ......................................................................................................... 19 6. Survey Results ..................................................................................................................................... 25 6.1. Results Summary ......................................................................................................................... 25 6.2. Characteristics of the Survey Area and Integrity ........................................................................ 26 6.3. Architecture ................................................................................................................................ 28 6.3.1. Vernacular Style ...................................................................................................................... 29 City of Fredericksburg Historic Resources Survey ii Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. 6.3.2. Folk Victorian Style ................................................................................................................. 30 6.3.3. Bungalow Form ....................................................................................................................... 30 6.3.4. Craftsman Style ....................................................................................................................... 31 6.3.5. Minimal Traditional Style ........................................................................................................ 32 6.3.6. Postwar Modern Style ............................................................................................................ 32 6.3.7. Contemporary Style ................................................................................................................ 33 6.3.8. Ranch Style ............................................................................................................................. 34 6.4. Preservation Priorities................................................................................................................. 35 6.5. Local Landmark and NRHP Recommendations ........................................................................... 37 6.6. Local District Recommendations ................................................................................................ 41 10. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 44 11. Sources ................................................................................................................................................ 45 APPENDICES Appendix A Maps Appendix B Inventory Table Appendix C Survey Forms LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Historic‐age, Non‐historic‐age, and Vacant Parcels in the Survey Area........................................ 25 Table 2. Number of Surveyed Resources by Historic Function ................................................................... 25 Table 3. Preservation Priorities ................................................................................................................... 35 Table 4. Resources Recommended Eligible ................................................................................................ 38 Cover images: CMEC 2018 City of Fredericksburg Historic Resources Survey iii Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document presents the findings of Phase I of a comprehensive historic resources survey of the City of Fredericksburg. The City of Fredericksburg retained Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. (CMEC) in February 2018 to conduct the survey. The purpose of the survey was to document all buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts (defined as “resources”) within the boundaries of the Phase I survey area—focusing on resources built before 1969 (defined as “historic‐age”) and excluding previously surveyed properties—and identify individual resources or districts eligible for local listing or listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). See Figure 1 in Appendix A for a map of the survey area. CMEC historians conducted the survey between April 30 and May 2, 2018. In total, 398 historic‐ age resources were documented and evaluated for NRHP eligibility based on their potential historic significance and integrity. The survey area was also evaluated for potential new historic districts and for a potential expansion of the existing City of Fredericksburg Historic District. A draft report was submitted to the City in November 2018 for review by the Historic Preservation Officer, Historic Review Board, and the public. This final report incorporates additional information and feedback provided from these parties. As a result of the survey, CMEC recommends 28 resources eligible as local landmarks, one resource eligible for the NRHP, and a historic district expansion. This report begins with an introduction to the project and project objectives, followed by an overview of the survey methodology. Next is a brief overview of the NRHP, Fredericksburg’s local landmark program, and the City’s preservation priorities system. The historic context used by the survey team to evaluate properties is provided. The results of the survey are then presented along with a discussion of eligibility. A summary and bibliography follow. Included in the appendices are GIS‐based maps of the survey results, an inventory table of survey results, and survey forms for the historic‐age resources documented as part of this project. City of Fredericksburg Historic Resources Survey 1 Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. 2. INTRODUCTION The City of Fredericksburg’s Department of Development