River Oaks neighborhood preservation 101

After about one-third of the original homes in River Oaks have been demolished, the Chronicle has now picked up a story about the will to preserve. The homes in the area, which were largely built by well-known architects for well-known families, have been meeting the same fate as many others in Houston (think Bellaire, West University, and creeping in to older neighborhoods - sixth ward, Heights and beyond). The average house size in the U.S. has increased by about 775 square feet - almost 50% - since the early seventies, according to the United States Census and by about 250% since the fifties (National Association of Home Builders - page 14). This want for increased space leads to the demise of many older homes that do not measure up, but the houses decimated in River Oaks have never typically been in the modest or average category. And don't blame kids or other family members - average household size has decreased from 3.67 in 1940 to 2.57 in 2005 - that's an entire person (and a tenth) less.

According to Jill Jewett, Mayor White's assistant on Cultural Affairs:

"We have spent so much time tearing down buildings and building new that we are now celebrating our past and where we came from. We also realize preserving our past adds to the quality of life, which is a mark of a mature city. Some of the reasons people want to stay in a place are good green spaces, culture and history. Part of that history are the homes in River Oaks, which have a great story to tell."

There must be another part there, else Houston would not have such glaring achievement in the obliteration category, and while the response from local government is a tad dainty and formulaic, there is a good point in the one above: how the mark of a mature city is told by its history and preservation. Houston developers and lawmakers have generally stood on the immature side of this statement, and risk the chance of always being there since historic preservation requires one important element: better foresight than hindsight. Also, while many of the homes may be worthy of landmark status in some Houstonians' eyes, the paperwork tells all - after all, the house of Deborah Salvo, a member of the River Oaks Preservation Society, was only the third in the neighborhood to have this designation. She said:

That is why we are asking homeowners in the area to file for the historical landmark status, so the homes will not be torn down. Each time a home is torn down, it is like tearing a page out of the history book, which we do not want to see happen

If a home or building qualifies, though, the process for nominating a site for historic landmark or protected landmark status is relatively easy (and provides tax incentives).

Below are links to learn more and find materials related to local preservation: