[00:00:01]
OKAY. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
[Landmark Commission on July 17, 2023.]
TODAY IS MONDAY, JULY 17TH, AND THE TIME IS 401, SO WE'LL START WITH ATTENDANCE.COMMISSIONER BAKER WILL BE ABSENT TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER COLLINS WILL BE ABSENT TODAY.
OKAY, GREAT. DO ANY OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH ANY OF THE CASES THAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY? SEEING NONE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES.
DO YOU SEE ANY CHANGES, CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? NOPE. NO.
SEEING NONE. THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY? NO PUBLIC COMMENT WAS RECEIVED.
WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
THEY MEET ALL OF THE CRITERIA REQUESTED TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THESE THREE CASES, WHICH IS 2301 STRAND 1423 ROSENBERG AND 3008 TENTH AVENUE? DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? ON MY ZOOM, GIRL.
DOES ANYBODY WANT ONE OF THESE CASES PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT FURTHER ON THE REGULAR AGENDA? SEEING NONE, I'M GOING TO MOVE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SARAH MAKES A MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? UNANIMOUS. DO I HAVE MY ZOOM, GIRL? YES. OKAY.
UH, NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
IT'S A NEW BUSINESS AND ASSOCIATED PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THE FIRST ONE IS CASE 23LC-027 1620 WINNIE AVENUE, G.
ALL RIGHTY. SO, AS STATED, THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A LANDMARK DESIGNATION AT THE STATED ADDRESS.
THERE WERE 32 PUBLIC NOTICES SENT.
ONE OF THOSE RETURNED. THAT ONE WAS IN FAVOR.
THE ERNEST SEALY THIS IS THE WE'RE CALLING IT THE EARNEST SEALING HOUSE.
WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE, BUT WE'LL GET TO THAT EARLY.
WAS BORN IN HANNOVER, GERMANY, 1821 AND MIGRATED TO GALVESTON IN 1845 AT THE AGE OF 21.
ORIGINALLY TRAINED IN SADDLERY, SOON OPENED HIS OWN BUSINESS, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO EXPAND HIS VENTURES, WHICH INCLUDED REAL ESTATE, AND THAT INCLUDED A TENANT HOUSE AT 15 1509 MECHANIC, WHICH IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SEALING BILL HOUSE.
MR. SEALING MARRIED ANNA FRICKER IN 1849.
SHE PASSED AWAY ONE YEAR LATER.
HE LATER MARRIED JACINTA FREW OF GALVESTON.
TOGETHER THEY HAD A SON AND THREE DAUGHTERS.
THE BOYS DID NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN, SO THE HOUSE OF 1620 WINNIE WAS COMPLETED IN 1890.
ORIGINAL FRONT DOOR IS CONSTRUCTED WITH TWO SIDELIGHTS AND TRANSOM WINDOW.
ALL THE WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE HAVE THE ORIGINAL DOUBLE HUNG WOOD FRAME WINDOWS AS WELL.
PLANNING COMMISSION WILL HEAR THIS REQUEST AT THE JULY 18TH, 2023 MEETING.
CITY COUNCIL, OF COURSE, HAS A FINAL DECISION REGARDING LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS.
SO HERE IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS IT LOOKS TODAY.
OH, THAT'S. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S A NEW.
I WAS 27. I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO BE IN THERE SOMEWHERE.
[00:05:09]
SO NO, THESE ARE NOT CONSENT AGENDA.THERE WE GO. 3205 URSULINE AVENUE.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
SO HERE'S THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
NOW HERE'S THE PROPERTY TO THE EAST, TO THE SOUTH, TO THE WEST.
AND THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? NO. WE'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK IF MR. OR MRS. RENNISON ARE HERE.
IS THAT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT, SIR? WOULD YOU LIKE TO STEP UP AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY, PLEASE? GOOD AFTERNOON. WELL, HE PRETTY MUCH COVERED IT ALL.
IT HADN'T BEEN TAKEN CARE OF SINCE HURRICANE IKE.
WE FIXED THE FOUNDATION, DID A LOT OF COSMETIC REPAIR, GOT THE HOUSE PAINTED, AND ACTUALLY IT WAS IN LAST MONTH'S COAST MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTED IN THERE. MY WIFE, THE AWESOME INTERIOR DECORATOR, DID THE INSIDE AND IT LOOKS FANTASTIC.
HOUSE HAS SOME REALLY COOL HISTORY, THOUGH.
MR. SEALY WAS A PRETTY WELL KNOWN GUY.
FROM 1890 TO APPROXIMATELY 1923, WHEN THEY MOVED INTO A HOUSE THAT ERNEST SEALY PASSED AWAY IN ABOUT 22ND AND K, AND THEY STAYED IN THAT HOUSE UNTIL THEY PASSED AWAY.
AND THEN FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS JUST TENANT HOUSING.
AND AFTER THE 1960 CITY DIRECTORY STOP, IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TELL WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT WE BOUGHT IT FROM SOME PEOPLE FROM DALLAS WHO HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO FIX IT UP, BUT THEN THEIR PARENTS WERE GETTING ELDERLY AND THEY WANTED TO STAY IN THE DALLAS AREA.
SO WE WE GOT VERY FORTUNATE AND WE BOUGHT IT LIVING TWO HOUSES DOWN, TWO HOUSES DOWN.
1610 WAS OUR FOREVER HOME UNTIL THIS ONE CAME UP FOR SALE.
AND WE DON'T KNOW THE TERM FOREVER.
IT WAS A BLUE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, LIKE FIVE, TEN YEARS AGO.
WAS THIS A YELLOW ONE? I DON'T THINK IT WAS YELLOW.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOME. IT'S VERY, VERY PRETTY.
AND WE WALKED BY IT 100 TIMES AND COULDN'T SEE THE HOUSE ONCE WE GOT THOSE TREES TRIMMED.
SO. AND THAT'S MR. RENNISON. NO.
THANK YOU ALL. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS CASE? NO. OKAY.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND SHARON ALL IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING TO CITY COUNCIL THAT IT BE DESIGNATED AS A LANDMARK? OKAY, WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR.
GREAT. OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO CASE 23LC-03.
OH, BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS, MR. RENNISON. 23LC-030.
AND IT'S EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME.
THAT'S RIGHT. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AT 3205 AVENUE N THE REQUEST FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
ONCE AGAIN, 32 PUBLIC NOTICES WERE SENT AND ONCE AGAIN, ONE RETURNED IN FAVOR.
INSURANCE RECORDS NOTE THAT THE HOUSE EXISTED AS EARLY AS 1886 WHEN IT WAS REPAIRED AND ENLARGED.
ORIGINALLY LOCATED AT 2617 AVENUE M WAS MOVED TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN 1924 TO MAKE WAY FOR EXPANSION OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WAS THE STATE'S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL. CENTRAL HIGH WAS ESTABLISHED ORIGINALLY IN 1885.
AND OF COURSE, NICHOLAS CLAYTON WAS THE ARCHITECT OF RECORD.
IN 1899, GALVESTON CITY DIRECTORY NOTES DALLAS SMITH AS OCCUPANT OF 2617 AVENUE M NOTES MR. SMITH WAS EMPLOYED BY TAYLOR COTTON COMPRESS AT 30TH STREET POST OFFICE.
IT WAS MR. SMITH'S WIDOW AND DAUGHTER WHO MOVED THE HOUSE TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION.
[00:10:05]
I ATTENDED GALVESTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.SHE LATER STUDIED AT FISK UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK.
HOUSE REMAINED IN THEIR FAMILY UNTIL 2008.
IN ADDITION, THE HOUSE'S STRONG ASSOCIATION WITH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL AND NOTEWORTHY AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATORS DURING POST-CIVIL WAR SEGREGATION MAKES AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE CITY'S LANDMARK PROGRAM.
ONCE AGAIN, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL HEAR THIS REQUEST AT THE JULY 18TH MEETING.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL WITH STANDARD CONDITION ONE, THE STAFF REPORT AND WE HAVE SOME PHOTOS.
SO HERE IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS IT SITS TODAY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND HERE WE HAVE THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH, TO THE EAST, TO THE WEST.
AND THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT.
OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? NO. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK IF MRS. SALZMAN OR MR. TUCKER IS HERE. WOULD LIKE TO.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO STEP FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND SIGN IN AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR SWEET LITTLE PROPERTY? I WILL. MY NAME IS SARAH SALZMAN AND MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED IN THE HOUSE.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT FOR MR. BURKE. WE PREFER WE PREFER TO CALL IT THE SMITH DICKERSON HOME, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE TWO FAMILIES THAT LIVED THERE THE LONGEST.
AND ANONA SMITH, WHO WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE DOW AND ELIZABETH SMITH, WHO FIRST OWNED THE HOUSE, SHE I'M STUNNED BY THE FACT THAT SHE IS A SINGLE YOUNG BLACK WOMAN, WENT TO NEW YORK TO GO TO COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, TO BECOME A TEACHER, TO COME BACK TO GALVESTON AND THEN WORK AT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY BECAME THE DEAN OF GIRLS AT CENTRAL.
THE FAMILY THAT BOUGHT THE HOUSE FROM THEM, WHICH IS WILLARD DICKERSON.
I'M SORRY, WERE YOU. OH, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANTED TO ASK.
I'M SORRY. SO IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT, HE APPARENTLY, ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE FOUND, WAS THE ONE WHO ENCOURAGED HIS STUDENTS TO DO ONE OF THE FIRST PEACEFUL LUNCH COUNTER SIT INS IN GALVESTON.
SO HE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS WELL.
WE LOVE THE FACT THAT IT WAS MOVED THERE.
AND IT TOOK US A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
BUT WHEN CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WAS BUILT, WAS EXPANDED.
THEY PUT IT ON A TRUCK, I GUESS, OR OXEN OR SOMETHING AND DRAGGED IT ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF 25TH.
IT'S GOT SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FEATURES IN IT.
WE HAD ANOTHER APPLICANT THAT CAME IN TO US EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND HER HOUSE WAS RELATED, I BELIEVE, TO MRS. MCGUIRE, WASN'T IT? AND SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE FASCINATION OF A LOT OF THESE LANDMARKS THAT COME FORWARD IS IT'S NOT JUST THAT THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE HISTORY AND BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN IT, IT SHINES A LIGHT ON THEM, WHICH ARE OFTENTIMES KIND OF THE UNSUNG HEROES IN OUR IN OUR SOCIETY IN THOSE DAYS.
ABSOLUTELY. WITH TWO DIFFERENT FAMILIES WHO LIVED THERE.
THEY ALSO HAD A LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BACK YARD, WHICH IS NO LONGER THERE.
THAT WAS RENTED OUT TO TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOL.
SO IT'S JUST GOT ALL KINDS OF COOL STUFF IN IT.
THAT'S REALLY COOL. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD.
[00:15:02]
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS.Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I SAW A FOR SALE SIGN.
AND THIS MAY BE AN OLD PICTURE.
I THINK IF YOU HAD TO HAVE SINCE 2015, YES, WE HAVE HAD THE HOUSE SINCE 2015.
WE WERE THINKING ABOUT SELLING IT.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT LEAVING IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT.
AND SO WE HAD HALLMARK COME OUT AND HELP US RESTORE IT.
SWEET HOUSE. AS I SEE YOU, I RECOGNIZE YOU.
OH, IF WE GET A PLAQUE ON THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT WHERE EVERYBODY CAN SEE.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PROPERTY? NO. WELL, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE LEFT.
SO I HAVE TO ASK, IS THERE ANYTHING ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING? FOR DISCUSSION? NO. WHAT ABOUT MY ZOOMIE? NO? OKAY, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.