Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on the Request by Rico Munoz for Approval of a Historic Marker for the House Located at 1208 Tucker Street.
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Enhance the Quality of Life In Downtown McKinney
MEETING DATE: January 7, 2016
DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT: Guy R. Giersch, Historic Preservation Officer
Matt Robinson, AICP, Planning Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is recommending approval of a historic marker for 1208 Tucker Street.
PRIORITY RATING: The property is listed as a high priority building according to the 2015 Update of the Historic Resource Survey. A high priority building contributes significantly to local history or broader historical patterns; is an outstanding or unique example of architecture, engineering or crafted design; retains a significant portion of its original character and contextual integrity; meets, in some cases, criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and/or is eligible for a Texas Historical Marker.
ITEM SUMMARY: On December 2, 2015, the applicant submitted the necessary documentation to apply for a Historic Marker for the house located at 1208 Tucker (also known as the Dr. J. Knight House).
The purpose of the Historic Marker Program is to encourage owners of historic properties to become actively involved in the preservation of McKinney’s historic past through the recognition of historic events, people, and architecture. The applicant has submitted a written narrative relating the history of the various families that have owned the property or resided at 1208 Tucker Street and the role they played in McKinney’s history.
The Dr. Jonas Knight House was constructed in 1915. The house is a two-story Craftsman Bungalow style house. The house uses a rectangular plan, a pier and beam foundation, and is sheathed in wood lap siding and imbricated shingles. The features that make this house a Craftsman style bungalow includes a roof with clipped gables, wide overhanging eaves, exposed rafter tails, three-over-one wood double hung windows, and a Craftsman style door with sidelights.
The Sanborn Maps from 1920 show the porch wrapping around the southeast corner of the house. It was mentioned that in the Courier-Gazette that a new porch was constructed in 1953. The new porch configuration allowed the Knights to enclose the original porch to create a study. Aside from the porch alteration little has changed and the house, for the most part is architecturally intact.
Historical Figures Associated with the House:
• The house was occupied by the Knight family from 1915 till 1972.
• Jonas Knight was born in 1884 in Commerce Texas. He studied in Kirksville, Missouri and he graduated in 1904. He moved back to Commerce and married Lorena Lampton in 1906. That same year he moved to McKinney and opened an office above the Collin County National Bank located on the southeast side of the Square. Four years later he moved his office to the Foote Building on the northwest corner of the Square.
• In 1912 while motoring in Dallas, Dr. Knight’s car was struck by an Interurban train and his wife Lorena was killed. In 1914 Dr. Knight married Kathleen Abernathy.
• In 1915, Dr. Knight and his wife Kathleen had the house built at 1208 Tucker Street. Though there is no evidence, it is quite possible, that W. J. Higgins was the builder since he constructed several of the houses in the Fox addition where this house is located.
• Knight moved his practice to 207 E. Virginia where Gather is located today. The building is known as the Fox Building, built by George W. Fox, the same person Knight purchased his house lot from. Knight would make the Fox Building his office for the next 40 years.
• Knight moved his business 40 years later in 1955 to the Thurman Building located at 311 N. Tennessee. He died five months later and was buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery.
• Dr. Knight served as the team physician for the Boyd High School football team for over 25 years. He was a member of the First Methodist Church, the Rotary Club, the Epworth League, and the Elks. Knight was one of the first people in Collin County to fly in a barn-storming bi-plane.
• Kathleen Abernathy was the daughter of Judge Mercer G. Abernathy. Kathleen was active in the Red Cross, the Entre Nous Club, a club dedicated to the “improvement of knowledge.” One of their major efforts was in aiding in raising funds for the creation of Finch Park. She continued living in the house until she died in 1972.
ASSESSMENT: Staff believes that the applicant has met all of the requirements to obtain a Historic Marker under the Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone Program (Ordinance 2013-11-110). Therefore, Staff is recommending approval of a Historic Marker for 1208 Tucker Street.
Under Ordinance 2013-11-110, if the HPAB approves the Marker, the applicant will be responsible for purchasing and displaying the Historic Marker.
Also, under Ordinance 2013-11-110, if the HPAB approves the Marker, the applicant may make application for a Level 1 tax exemption (100% exemption of the City’s ad valorem taxes for a period of 7 years) providing the building has architectural integrity and has been properly rehabilitated/restored and maintained.