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Home My WebLink About2023-012 Historic ChurchesFebruary 10, 2023 Report No. 2023-012 INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT: ‘Historic’ Churches of Denton BACKGROUND: On Friday, January 20, 2023, Council Member Brandon Chase McGee inquired about the process churches must undergo to receive historical status. Specifically, the questions posed included the following: • How do churches receive historical status? • What are the requirements? • How many churches in Denton are considered “historical?” DISCUSSION: Properties can be historically recognized in two ways: 1) historical markers; or 2) local, state, or national designation. Regarding historical markers, this is a commemorative acknowledgment of a property/structure’s historical significance. This acknowledgment is administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and is associated with the THC’s Historical Markers program. The property owner’s permission is required for participation in the program, and the property/structure is evaluated based on the THC’s program criteria (more information below), while not requiring any approvals by the City As it relates to designated properties, a local, state, or national designation status requires a higher level of scrutiny related to the property/structure’s historical significance and necessitates approvals by the City to ensure that alterations to a property/structure are historically appropriate; in some cases, it results in zoning protection. For example, properties designated at the local level include a zoning action to further protect the property/structure’s historical integrity, requiring Historic Landmark Commission (HLC) and Planning and Zoning Commission review and City Council approval. No zoning action is required for a property to be designated at the state and national levels; however, a formal review of changes being proposed to the property/structure is required by the HLC. The following additional information is related to the Texas Historical Commission Historical Markers program and local, state, and national designation of historic properties. February 10, 2023 Report No. 2023-012 Texas Historical Commission Historical Markers Within the City of Denton, there are seven churches that have Texas Historical Commission Historical Markers, which are used to commemorate diverse topics in Texas history, including the history and architecture of houses, commercial and public buildings, religious congregations, and military sites; events that changed the course of local and state history; and individuals who have made lasting contributions to our state, community organizations, and businesses (see Attachment 2). For a property to receive a historical marker, the application must meet and include the following: • Topic meets age requirements: o Most topics must date back at least 50 years o Historic events may be marked after 30 years o Individuals of historic significance may be marked or mentioned in marker text after they have been deceased for 10 years • 5 to 10-page Historical Narrative giving the history of the topic • Owner’s Permission for Placement of the Marker • Proof of Ownership (can be a deed or tax appraisal) Two churches located in the Southeast Denton neighborhood have Texas Historical Commission Historical Markers – St. James AME Church and St. Emmanuel Baptist Church (see Attachment 1). Local, State, and National Designations For a church to receive historical designation status, in which it is recognized by the City of Denton, the Texas Historical Commission (administered by the State of Texas), or the National Register of Historic Places (administered by the National Park Service) as a landmarked property, the church must meet the criteria for designation. Below are the following criteria for designation at the local, state, and national levels. City of Denton Historic Landmark Designation Criteria The church must meet one or more of the criteria shown below. 1. Character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the city, state, or the United States; 2. Recognition as a recorded state historic landmark, a national historic landmark, or entered into the National Register of Historic Places; 3. Reflects a distinguishing characteristic of an architectural type or specimen; 4. Identification as the work of an architect or master builder whose individual work has influenced the development of the city; 5. Reflects elements of architectural design, detail, material, or craftsmanship that represent a significant architectural innovation; February 10, 2023 Report No. 2023-012 6. Relationship to other distinctive buildings, sites, or areas which are eligible for preservation according to a plan based on architectural, historic, or cultural motif; 7. Portrayal of the environment of a group of people in an area of history characterized by a distinctive architectural style; 8. Archeological value in that it has produced or can be expected to produce data affecting theories of historic or prehistoric interest; 9. Exemplification of the cultural, economic, social, ethnic, or historical heritage of the city, state, or the United States; 10. Location as the site of a significant historic event; 11. Identification with a person who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the city, state or the United States; 12. A building or structure that, because of its location, has become of value to a neighborhood, community area, or the city; or 13. Value as an aspect of community sentiment or public pride. Texas Historic Commission Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) Designation Criteria The church must meet all the criteria shown below. 1. Age: Buildings or other historic structures may be eligible for RTHL designation upon reaching 50 years of age. In some cases, structures older than 50 years that have been altered may be eligible, if those alterations occurred at least 50 years ago and took place during a significant period of the structure’s history. 2. Historical Significance: Establish, through written and photographic documentation, the historical significance of a structure. 3. Architectural Integrity: In reviewing applications for RTHL designation, the THC considers not only the historic persons or events associated with a structure but also the architectural integrity of the building or structure. The structure should maintain its appearance from its period of historical significance and should be an exemplary model of preservation. In no case can a structure be considered for the RTHL designation if it has been moved in the past 50 years or if artificial (aluminum, vinyl, asbestos, etc.) siding applied to its exterior within the preceding 50 years covers and/or alters its historic architectural materials or features. National Register of Historic Places Designation Criteria The church must be of national significance under one or more of the following National Historic Landmark criteria shown below and retain a high degree of integrity. 1. Be the location of an event that had a significant impact on American history overall. 2. Be the property most strongly associated with a nationally significant figure in American history. February 10, 2023 Report No. 2023-012 3. Provide an outstanding illustration of an overall broad theme or trend in American history. 4. Be an outstanding example of an architectural style or significant development in engineering. 5. Be part of a group of resources that together form a historic district. 6. Be a property that can provide nationally significant archeological information. Within the City of Denton’s city limits, there are no local, state, or nationally designated churches. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Historical Churches Map 2. Texas Historical Commission Historical Markers in Denton STAFF CONTACT: Cameron Robertson, AICP Historic Preservation Officer/Principal Planner cameron.robertson@cityofdenton.com (940) 349-8532 REQUESTOR: Council Member Brandon Chase McGee STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: 3 hours PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: N/A Historical Churches Date: 1/30/2023 Thi s pr oduc t i s for inf or m ational purpos es and m ay not have been prepared for or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purpos es . It does not represent an on-the-ground survey and represents only the approxim ate relative location ofproperty boundar ies . Although every effort was made t o ensure the acc uracy of this dat a, no such guarantee is given or implied. Utiliz at ion of this map indicates t he underst anding that t here is no guarantee to the ac curacy of this data. SI-35ENORTHBOUNDSERVICERDBOLIVAR STNE L MSTNLOCUSTSTBRINKERRDPRIVAT EDRMAYHILLRD F M 2 4 99N I-35E NI-35ESOUTHBOUNDSERVICERD W OAK ST PANHANDLE ST EGAN ST W HIGHLAND ST CRESCENT ST S I-35E DALLAS DRBELLAVE BONN I E B R AESTHINKLE DRHICKORY CREEK RD E MCKINNEYSTFULTONST ALLR ED RDI-35SOUTHBOUNDSERVI CERDM IN G O R D OLDJOHNPAINERDSCRIPTURE ST E HICKORY ST W EAGLE DR CORDE L L ST P I N E H IL L S L N W I ND RIVER LNN CARROLL BLVDW HI CKORY STMALONEST H I L LT O P RD JOHNSON LN PENNSYLVANIADRCOUNTRYCLUBRDPRIVATE DRSLOCUSTSTI35I 35 WNORTHTEXASBLVD HIGHLANDPARKRDPARV IN ST MONTECITO DR MO C K I NGBIRDLNSPENCER RD E RYAN RD AUDRA LN AIRPORT RD LILLIANBMILLERPKWYBERNARDSTFORRESTRIDGEDRHOLLYHIL L L NFM 2449 W UNIVERSITY DR M ONTECITO R DCOLORADOBLVD PAI S LEY S T WI N THROP HILL RD SLOOP288NOTTINGHAMDRTHOMAS STWOODROWLNSTONEGATEDRLINDEN DR ARG Y LELNE S HERMANDRSFM2499V INTAGE BLVD ROB I N SON RD TEASLEY LN LIP IZZAN DR JO H N P A INERDFORT WORTH DRSI-35ESOUTHBOUNDSERVICERDMCCORMICKS T E U N I V E R S I Y D R UNDER WOODRDWILLOWWOOD STMARSHALLRDJIM CHRISTAL RD NLOOP288N. W E S TERNBLVDBRUSH CREEK RD SH A D Y O A K S DRI -35NORTHBOUNDSERVI CE R D W W INDSOR DR MASCH BRANCH RDI-35WSOUTHBOUNDSERVICERDROSELAW N DR FUTU R E B ONNIEBRAESTS. WESTERN BLVD³±2164 ³±428 ³±1830³±2249 ³±1515 ³±426 ³±2181 §¨¦35E §¨¦35 §¨¦35E §¨¦35W £¤77 £¤380 £¤77 £¤380 £¤380 £¤377 ST288 ST288 First BaptistChurch ofDenton FirstChristianChurch First UnitedMethodistChurch Imm acula teConceptionCatholic Saint Emm anue lBaptist C hurch Saint JamesAME C hurch Argyle UnitedMethodistChurch MT PilgrimCME C hurch Saint AndrewChurch of Godin C hrist Pleasant Grove B aptis tChurch µ0 0.5 10.25 MilesHistorical Ma rker (5 ) Co m m un ity B en e fits A gre em e nt (3 ) Hist orical Ma rker & Co m mu n ity B en efits Ag ree m ent (2) St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church (1107 E Oak Street) Dedicated circa 1985 (continued on next page) St. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church (509 Lakey Street) Dedicated circa 2006 First Methodist Church of Denton (201 S Locust Street) Dedicated circa 1996 First Baptist Church of Denton (1100 Malone Street) Dedicated circa 1992 First Christian Church of Denton (1203 Fulton Street) Dedicated circa 1997 Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (2255 N Bonnie Brae Street) Dedicated circa 1994 (continued on next page) Argyle United Methodist Church (9033 Fort Worth Drive) Dedicated circa 1981