Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on the Request by Dan & Susan Beers, for Approval of a Historic Marker for the House Located at 805 North Waddill Street.
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Enhance the Quality of Life in Downtown McKinney
MEETING DATE: April 7, 2016
DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT: Guy R. Giersch, Historic Preservation Officer
Samantha Pickett, Planning Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is recommending approval of a historic marker for 805 North Waddill 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 March 15, 2016 the applicant submitted the necessary documentation to apply for a Historic Marker for the house located at 805 North Waddill Street (also known as the Don O. Davis 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 605 North Waddill Street and the role they played in McKinney’s history.
The Don O. Davis House was designed and built by J. E. Cooper in 1923. It is an example of a Craftsman Style bungalow. Craftsman Style bungalows are also known as Arts & Crafts. This style historically began in India, adopted by the English, and imported in small numbers to the US around 1880. Early on, the style would flourish in California. Eventually Frank Lloyd Wright would introduce the Prairie Style, followed by Gustave Stickley and the Arts and Crafts movement. The Arts and Crafts movement introduced three major principles: simplicity, harmony with nature, and the promotion of craftsmanship. These houses were heavily promoted in pattern books and popular magazines such as Ladies Home Journal. The bungalow became ever popular and bungalow construction boomed generally between 1915 and 1927. These houses traditionally are single-story homes with low-pitched, gabled or hipped roof lines with deep overhanging eaves. The rafter tails are exposed and many times are decoratively cut. Front porches are typically extensions of the main roof. Columns can be squared, tapered, or round and quite often placed on piers. Windows are typically three or four-over-one, double hung windows.
The Don O. Davis house is a one-story, wood framed structure constructed on a pier-and-beam foundation. The house has a porch with a segmental arch roof and the porch roof is supported using brick columns with tapered columns. The house has four-over-one double hung windows, and a single panel wood door with a circular window. The roof is low pitched sporting wide eaves with exposed rafter tails and brackets under the eaves. (The porch treatment in the photo from 1985, page 24 is very atypical of a Craftsman Bungalow.)
Historical Figures Associated with the House:
• J. E. Cooper designed and built the home located at 805 North Waddill Street for Don and Gladys Davis.
• Don O. Davis born in 1889 in McKinney, is the son of Judge H.L Davis, a prominent attorney and County Judge (1910-1916), and Emma Davis.
• Don grew up at 705 North College Street in McKinney. Graduated in 1907 from McKinney High and then 1911 he graduated from Texas A&M. He moved back to McKinney, and went to work on the family farm.
• In 1915 Don married Gladys Weaver, daughter of Morgan Weaver who owned one of the largest dry-goods stores in McKinney.
• At the age of 39 Davis shifted his attention to public service. In 1928 he was elected to the position of Collin County Commissioner of Precinct 1 and would go on to serve six two-year terms as County Commissioner.
• Davis worked for McKinney Building & Loan and in 1939 he became the acting Postmaster General and a year later the position became permanent. He worked at the Old Post Office at 300 E. Virginia and helped relocate the Post Office to the new Federal Building in 1959. At the age of 70 he resigned after 20 years of service.
• Davis was active in the First Christian Church and the Rotary Club.
• Don Davis died in 1962 and was survived by his wife Gladys (Weaver) Davis and a son and daughter.
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 2015-12-105). Therefore, Staff is recommending approval of a Historic Marker for 805 North Waddill Street.
Under Ordinance 2015-12-105, if the HPAB approves the Marker, the applicant will be responsible for purchasing and displaying the Historic Marker.
Also, under Ordinance 2015-12-105, if the Historic Preservation Advisory Board 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. The building must have a residential use in order to qualify for the tax exemption.