Dear Neighbors,
In our last WANG newsletter, I wrote to you about the tragic loss of historic fabric we are experiencing in our Neighborhood and our City, due to the demolition of so many older homes and buildings. Austin is losing its historical identity!!
The Historic Landmark Commission reviews each demolition application, and makes a recommendation to the Planning Commission and City Council, as to whether a building is worthy of historic zoning. They follow strict criteria in recommending historic zoning, and only vote to recommend if the property is truly worthy of preservation. But their recommendation must be supported by the public and the City Council for a building to be preserved, if the owner is opposed to historic zoning. Such is the case for 2002 Scenic Drive, the remarkable old stone house in our neighborhood, known as the “Rock House.”
On June 1st, 2022, the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously to initiate historic zoning for 2002 Scenic Drive. Why? The HLC determined that 2002 Scenic Drive qualifies for Historic Zoning because of its truly unique architecture, landscape features and historical associations (see detailed descriptions from the HLC review below.)
Despite this rare unanimous recommendation for historic zoning, the Rock House property is still very much in danger of being totally demolished. The owner of the property objects to historic zoning, and the only way this home can be preserved is through strong support from the public, the Planning Commission and the City Council.
The West Austin Neighborhood Group strongly supports the HLC’s recommendation for historic zoning for 2002 Scenic Drive. Please help us, and write to the members of our Planning Commission and City Council, asking them to support historic zoning for 2002 Scenic Drive, before it’s too late!
Please email Members of the Planning Commission before their August 23th Meeting! You can send one email and include all addresses below:
bc-Robert.Schneider@austintexas.gov
bc-todd.shaw@austintexas.gov
bc-Patrick.Howard@austintexas.gov
bc-Solveij.Praxis@austintexas.gov
bc-Grayson.Cox@austintexas.gov
bc-Jennifer.Mushtaler@austintexas.gov
bc-Carmen.Llanes@austintexas.gov
bc-Jessica.Cohen@austintexas.gov
bc-Yvette.Flores@austintexas.gov
bc-Awais.Azhar@austintexas.gov
bc-Greg.Anderson@austintexas.gov
bc-James.Shieh@austintexas.gov
bc-Arati.Singh@austintexas.gov
Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov
Please email the Mayor and Austin City Council and let them know you support historic zoning for 2002 Scenic Drive, before the Council considers this case.
Steve.Adler@austintexas.gov
Alison.Alter@austintexas.gov
Natasha.Madison@austintexas.gov
Vanessa.Fuentes@austintexas.gov
Sabino.Renteria@austintexas.gov
Mackenzie.Kelly@austintexas.gov
Leslie.Pool@austintexas.gov
Kathie.Tovo@austintexas.gov
Ann.Kitchen@austintexas.gov
Chito.Vela@austintexas.gov
Paige.Ellis@austintexas.gov
City.Clerk@austintexas.gov
Architecture:
The primary building is a good example of Spanish eclectic architecture with Modern-style Fehr and Granger influences. The accessory structure is a unique example of eclectic, mid-century, and Gothic Revival architecture; it features unique
Mansbendel keystones throughout. It appears to convey architectural significance as a one-of-a-kind structure in Austin. The primary building at 2002 Scenic Drive, known historically as River Street or River Avenue, is a two-story Spanish eclectic residence with Modern and eclectic additions constructed during the historic period. It is clad in stucco and masonry and capped with a compound-hipped roof with deep eaves. Fenestration includes multi-light wood casement windows irregularly placed throughout. A cylindrical turret with a crenellated parapet and arched windows flanks an open masonry porch that leads to an expansive designed landscape. The secondary building is an eclectic Gothic Revival cottage. It is two stories in height with an arched palisade, cedar-shake
roof, and masonry cladding. A two-story turret with faux chequerwork trim dominates the principal elevation. Each round arch includes a limestone keystone carved by famed local stoneworker Peter Mansbendel.
A renovation was designed circa 1946-47 for C.H. and Mildred Slator by prominent Austin architects Fehr & Granger. Officially established in 1946, Fehr & Granger was one of the first and possibly most influential mid-century modern
architectural firms in Austin. The firm flourished, with an extensive body of work consisting of both residential and commercial projects. They received multiple awards for their work in the magazine Progressive Architecture
Historical Associations:
The property appears to have significant historical associations with builder, entrepreneur, and optician Raymond Delisle; as well as C.H. Slator, the co-owner of the Tavern and a prominent Austin attorney. The house at 2002 Scenic Drive, called River Street or River Avenue before 1940, was constructed around 1928 by Raymond Maurice Delisle. Delisle, the son of a Houston architect, built 16 other houses in the River Street area while also working as an optician in Austin. He owned and operated the Austin Optical Company from the early 1920s until his retirement around 1940. He was one of the 1927 incorporators of the Urnite Manufacturing Company. Urnite, a synthetic stone material, appears to have been used in several landscape features around the property. Delisle’s other designs appear to reflect his unique “fairytale cottage” aesthetic, and his own home is a testament to his appreciation for Gothic Revival detailing. Later occupants include William Foster and then Mr. and Mrs. K.D. Shoudy. After the Shoudys lost a young son while living at the property in 1945, they sold the house to C.H. and Mildred Slator. It stayed in the Slator family until 2021, according to TCAD records. C.H. Slator, son of a prominent Llano rancher, was a local attorney and co-owner of the Tavern (ca. 1953).
Landscape Features:
The property appears to have a significant and unique designed landscape with aesthetic and historical value. Some landscape features, including the arched bridge and bench, appear to incorporate Delisle’s Urnite material. This material is
rare today. Additionally, the landscape designed by Delisle specifically relates to his architectural vision for the house, with meandering walks, an expansive lawn, and an early swimming pool built into the hillside topography to provide a river view.
