Happy Holidays from the Preservation Dallas staff and Board!
Submit a Nomination for the
2020 Preservation Achievement Awards
Have you, or someone you know, completed an outstanding preservation project that deserves recognition? Well then, nominate it for the 2020 Awards! Or, let us know about the project and we will pursue a nomination. The 21st annual Preservation Achievement Awards will be held next May during National Preservation Month.

Award nominations are being accepted for: Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a residential historic building; Rehabilitation or Adaptive Use of a commercial, institutional, or mixed-use building: Rehabilitation of a Historic Landscape, Park or other Historic Resource; and New Construction/Infill in a historic neighborhood which may include an addition directly attached to a building, or an entirely new building (infill) which enhances the historic nature of the original building, streetscape or urban environment. Nominations are due by January 24.

To see past Awards recipients, Honoree videos, photography slideshows and for more information, visit our Awards page .
The Holiday Party was a success!
In addition to the many members that attended, we were happy to host the family of William J. Thompson, whose beautiful sketches of Dallas area landmarks graced the main hall of the Wilson House.

Thank you to the many volunteers that helped gather raffle items, donate wine for our wine pull, helped serve the food and wine and cleaned up, and a big thank you to the PDYP members that came early in the week to decorate the house. We thank everyone for coming to celebrate the holiday season and for the camaraderie!
William Thompson Exhibit at the Wilson House Through January
If you didn't get a chance to see the exhibit of William James Thompson’s impressive architectural drawings during the Holiday Party make sure to stop by the Wilson House to see it before the end of January.

Thompson worked for Texas Power and Light in their construction and design department. Due to the Depression, the company put him on a half time basis and in his time off, he took to sketching and hit the streets - his mission was to document Dallas. He was never commissioned, but his eye for detail and passion for Texas history led to a collection of beautiful vignettes from a long time ago, some of which are now long gone.

The Thompson family donated the collection to the Dallas Public Library who has generously let us exhibit the sketches in the Wilson House before they return to the library to be scanned and properly archived. We thank the family for sharing these incredibly detailed sketches with us and our Preservation Dallas members.
Office Closed for the Holidays
The Preservation Dallas office will be closed beginning Monday, December 23rd and will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd, 2020.

If you have any questions during this time, please email us and we will get back with you as soon as we return to the office.

Happy New Year!  
Buildings of Texas Book Available at Preservation Dallas
Did you miss the book lecture and signing for the  Buildings of Texas: East, North Central, Panhandle and South Plains, and West ? If so we still have some copies left for sale at Preservation Dallas.

The book is the second volume for Texas which is part of the Society of Architectural Historians Buildings of the United States series. We are so big we need two to cover the state! From Dallas–Fort Worth to El Paso, Goodnight to Marfa to Langtry, and scores of places in between, this volume offers readers a definitive guide to the architecture of the Lone Star State. More than 1,000 building entries survey the most important and representative examples of forts, courthouses, houses, churches, commercial buildings, and works by internationally renowned artists and architects, from the Kimbell Art Museum’s Louis Kahn Building to Donald Judd’s art installations at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block. Brief essays highlight such topics as the history and construction of federal forts, the growth and spread of Harvey House restaurants, and the birth of Conrad Hilton’s hotel empire. Enlivened by 350 illustrations and 45 maps, it is a compelling journey filled with countless discoveries.

You can come by the office to purchase a book or you can use the link below to purchase one for pick up at the office. Books are $76.50 plus tax for Preservation Dallas members, which is a 10% discount off of the list price.
Give a Year End Gift to Preservation Dallas!
As we close in on the end of the year and the gift giving season we hope that Preservation Dallas will be on your list of gifts to give! A year end gift will help us with our work in 2020 to advocate for the historic places of Dallas. All donations received online or postmarked by December 31st will count towards this tax year. 
Corporate Partner Highlight
Christie’s International Real Estate | ULTERRE is the market leader in providing premier service and unmatched capability. They specialize in luxury & non-luxury residential, farm & ranch, relocation, and commercial real estate in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They are united behind a culture of inspired service – to their clients and team members. You will find deep experience – cutting across industries and specialties - combined into a never-ending pursuit of uncommon performance. They hold dear an authenticity that is embodied in a centuries-old business – Christie’s. And an energy to transmit that heritage with an ever-expanding modern capability. The result is incomparable. They recognize that they can only deliver through strong culture. It comes from embracing the dichotomy between creative frontiers and disciplined service. The collection of values they maintain is meant to provide that balance and empower an ever-expanding set of possibilities. The company is focused on exceptional real estate services and welcomes the adventure in every new experience—come share yours with them.

Christie's is located at 2913 Fairmont Street, Dallas Texas, 75214. Find more information on them here .

PRESERVATION ISSUES
Changes at the Landmark Commission – Emily Williams has been appointed to replace Katherine Seale as the Chair for the Landmark Commission and Evelyn Montgomery has been appointed as Vice-Chair. Elizabeth Mast has been appointed for D14 and Chris Poteet has been appointed for D10. Alicia Quintans has been appointed as an alternate. 

Kalita Humphreys Theater – The Steering Committee for the Master Plan update has been meeting with Katherine Seale serving as the representative for Preservation Dallas. Dallas Theater Center (DTC) put together an RFPQ for professional services to update the plan which was sent to 11 select firms. Proposals were returned by the end of November. The DTC has narrowed down the candidates to the finalists and the Steering Committee is to review them this month and select firms to hold interviews with in January. After that a firm will be selected and the firm will start engaging the public in February with the update to be completed by the end of 2020.  

Historic Resources Survey – The Preservation Solutions Committee has been working on funding for the survey to supplement the $100,000 in the city budget for the project. The Committee through Preservation Dallas has raised $95,000 in grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Downtown Dallas Inc., The Summerlee Foundation, and the Hoblitzelle Foundation. 
Director's Letter
David Preziosi
I can’t believe we are getting ready to close out the decade! Can it really be 2020 so soon? Since we are getting ready to leave the 2010s I thought I would give a few highlights from the decade.

2011 – Informative signs were placed in downtown in memory of Gail Thoma Patterson which describe the historic structures surrounding Main Street Garden. The Preservation Dallas Young Professionals (PDYP) group was started to be a networking group for young professionals to learn more about preservation in Dallas.
 
2012 – Preservation Dallas celebrated its 40 th anniversary. I joined Preservation Dallas as the Executive Director.
 
2013 – The Urban Armadillos group made up of folks interested in “digging up the history of Dallas” formally joined with Preservation Dallas in 2013 in an effort to develop walking trails in downtown Dallas. Preservation Dallas received a grant from the BB Owen Trust to work on the history and preservation of the McCree Cemetery.
 
2014 - The Pegasus Urban Trails mobile app was launched featuring walking tours through the downtown districts put together by the Urban Armadillos. Preservation Dallas members and the PDYP group participated in National Rebuilding Day in the historic Tenth Street neighborhood helping to paint buildings and build a fence. After the unfortunate surprise demolitions of four historic buildings in downtown, Preservation Dallas called attention to the lack of protections for significant downtown historic buildings. In response, the City established a Downtown Preservation Task Force to study the issue with Preservation Dallas serving on the committee.
 
2015 - To help educate the public about the incredible diversity of historic architecture in Dallas, a temporary exhibit on architectural styles was displayed at the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture. T hanks to a grant from the NorthPark 50 celebration, t he exhibit was subsequently developed into a booklet which was donated to all public libraries and the libraries of all DISD middle and high schools. The Downtown Preservation Task Force came up with nine recommendations for the city to implement to better address demolitions of historic properties in non-protected areas. One of the most important recommendations was implemented with the passing of a Demolition Delay Ordinance. DART announced its proposed D2 surface line through downtown Dallas and Preservation Dallas began calling attention to the negative impacts to historic buildings along the route. 
 
2016 – Preservation Dallas expanded the celebration of National Preservation Month with a roster of activities throughout the month to showcase and celebrate the power of historic preservation. Preservation Dallas successfully advocated for initiating the Landmark designation process for the Meadows Building in order to save the original wing of the building from being demolished by the new owner.
 
2017 – Preservation Dallas celebrated its 45 th anniversary which culminated with the biggest awards event for Preservation Dallas at The Statler. Stephanie Meeks, the President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, served as the keynote speaker. The final report by Versar on the history and condition of the McCree Cemetery was released. After a couple years of advocacy with other stakeholders, DART approved a plan to go underground with the proposed D2 line through downtown.
 
2018 - The downtown sign project expanded to Ferris Plaza with signs installed highlighting the historic buildings surrounding the park. The 1880s Rosenfield House was finally moved to its new home just a few blocks from its original location in the Cedars in order to save it from demolition. The Demolition Delay Overlay was expanded by City Council into East Dallas, Oak Lawn and more of Oak Cliff. The Knights of Pythias project in Deep Ellum was granted a historic tax exemption for the historic rehabilitation and new construction. The McCree Cemetery was designated a City of Dallas Landmark by the City Council protecting it in perpetuity.

2019 – The Preservation Achievement Awards celebrated its 20 th anniversary with 194 project awards and 95 special recognition awards given out since its inception. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Tenth Street Historic District on its 11 Most Endangered Places list. Preservation Dallas along with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Heritage Oak Cliff advocated for the passage of a resolution to stop the court ordered demolitions after years of the demolitions taking a toll on the district. The City Council passed a resolution to not spend any city funds on demolition in the Tenth Street Historic District.

For 2020, we have much planned including: working on a new web site thanks to a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation; hiring a new development person to replace Donovan; expanding the downtown sign program to Pacific Plaza; continuing to work on advocacy efforts including the DISD school replacement issue and Kalita Humphreys Theater; and more.

I hope everyone has a most wonderful holiday season with family and friends wherever you may be. For those traveling I wish you a safe journey and return home. I will be hitting the I35 corridor and heading down to Austin for Christmas to share it with my parents, sisters and brother-in-laws, and my nieces and nephews. It will be a fun family Christmas!

Thank you so much to everyone for your support of Preservation Dallas and preservation in Dallas this past year! 
EVENTS
Real Places 2020 Conference

Hosted by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, the fourth annual Real Places Conference is being presented by Phoenix I Restoration & Construction. The conference provides an opportunity for preservationists and officials to network and learn with others from across the state as well as Texas Historical Commission staff, Texas Heritage Trail Regions, and other partner agencies.

In addition to the regular conference  schedule , Real Places 2020 will offer pre-conference workshops and tours. Continuing education credits for architects and planners will be offered. To find out more or to register go here .
The 21st Annual Legacies Dallas History Conference
Saturday, January 25, 2020
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, Seventh Floor

Save the Date! The 2020 Legacies Dallas History Conference theme this year will be – DISASTERS: Natural & Man-made featuring a range of speakers. Sessions will include:
  • Deadly Dallas Explosions: More Unfortunate Incidents, Deplorable Mayhem, and Grisly Fatalities at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
  • Images of Disaster: Dallas, Texas
  • Like a Bomb Went Off: The 1946 Baker Hotel Explosion
  • Wrestling with Fire: Destruction and Resurrection of Dallas’s Sportatorium
  • Terror from the Sky: The Dallas Tornado of 1957

More information and registration can be found here.
Did you know that when you shop for the holidays at AmazonSmile, they donate to Preservation Dallas? Click on the logo above to get started!
Preservation Dallas participates in the Tom Thumb Good Neighbor program. Link our Good Neighbor number to your Tom Thumb loyalty card and a percentage of your purchases will be credited towards us! Our number is 11352. Enroll your card here!   
Preservation Dallas participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Enroll your Kroger Plus card with Preservation Dallas as the benefactor. Our number is TX617. Enroll your card here!
Please Welcome our New Members!
Sustainer
Krishna & Damodar G Shenoy
Kelly Gordon
Ann Stoltz

PDYP
Ellen Tichenor
Wesley Paul Hoblit
Thank you to the following members for renewing!
Crystal Bell
Justin Curtsinger
Leah Shafer Glaser
John Johnson
Judith McMillen
Kelly Bradley
Mark Martinek
This newsletter is sent to all current and past members, and those interested in preservation in Dallas. To become a member or to renew or upgrade your membership, please click below.
CORPORATE PARTNERS
Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation
Preservation Dallas | 2922 Swiss Avenue | Dallas TX 752518