Upcoming Events
Historic Preservation Fair
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Houston Permitting Center
1002 Washington Ave., Houston TX 77002
The Planning & Development Department’s Historic Preservation Fair is a half day event designed to bring historic neighborhoods together to allow residents and professionals the opportunity to interact and discuss challenges related to caring for older homes.
The fair will provide educational tools and resources through a combination of workshops, and seminars on topics designed to provide solutions to effectively protect the historical, cultural and architectural characteristics of Houston’s historic districts.
If you own or renovate historic houses, you won’t want to miss this event. Workshops are free and open to the public.
See the workshop schedule here. Topics include:
Researching Historic Properties
How to discover a building or neighborhood's history
Historic Preservation & Sustainability
Environment and economic savings of buildign resuse versus demolition
Historic Site Tax Exemptions
What city tax exemptions are available to property owners
Archeaology
Houston's most interesting archaeological sites
Other workshop will cover topics such as
- planning appropriate repairs
- alterations and additions to historic properties
- repairing historic windows
- historic district and landmark designation process and introduce various resources available to assist owners in the stewardship of historic properties
For more information, call 713-837-7963.
This conference is sponsored by the City of Houston’s Planning and Development Department.
Historic Preservation
Since its inception in the early 1830s, Houston has encountered many transformations. The development of Houston from a tiny village to a substantial metropolitan city is recognized and interpreted through our remaining historic structures. In 1995, City Council adopted Houston’s Historic Preservation Ordinance in effort to help preserve the significant reminders of our collective past as represented through the built environment.
Through this ordinance, the City of Houston offers a process and methods to maintain Houston’s architectural history. Landmark and Protected Landmark designations allow for both recognition and protection of individual historic structures, while Historic District designations encourage the recognition and protection of neighborhoods with distinct historic character by classifying a specific bounded area historically significant.
Charged with administering the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) reviews and nominates all designations as well as issues Certificates of Appropriateness (COA), which are required for all projects seeking to alter the exterior appearance of a city designated historic property.
Preserving our historic structures allows us to retain a tangible connection to our past as well as act as an inspiration for future progress. Protecting and promoting Houston’s valuable historic resources boosts civic pride, economic prosperity and gives residents as well as visitors a visual reminder of our shared heritage.
For more information, feel free to contact us for assistance.
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