The Texas Supreme Court has affirmed a First District Court of Appeals judgment that Houston’s preservation ordinance does not constitute zoning and therefore does not violate the City Charter or Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code. The city’s position supporting historic preservation in Houston has now been upheld at every level of the Texas court system. Preservation Houston was among the local, state and national organizations that signed on to an amicus brief supporting the city’s position.
Anticipated buyer of historic Heights waterworks to outline development proposals during public meeting
Alliance Residential Group, the anticipated buyer of the historic Heights waterworks, is holding a public meeting on Tuesday evening, November 29, to give interested individuals the opportunity to hear advance proposals for the site's development. Alliance submitted the highest cash offer out of 19 bids received by the City of Houston, which, by statute, much accept the highest offer.
Sing a song of Houston
On Monday, March 7, Preservation Houston donated the restored 1915 prototype of the City of Houston flag to Houston Public Library’s Houston Metropolitan Research Center. The flag will be displayed in the historic Julia Ideson library building downtown.
If you couldn’t attend the program, you missed the Houston Saengerbund and what might have been the first performance of the Houston Municipal Song in a century. The Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Gray picked up the story of the song in her online column today.
A banner event: Celebrating Houston's first flag
In 1915, the city of Houston adopted the design for its official municipal flag: "one lone white star, floating in a sea of azure blue and bearing on its surface the original seal of the city of Houston." Based on a design by railroad retiree W.A. Wheeldon, the flag first took shape as a prototype created by the Levy Bros. department store, which was then used as a model for a 10-by-12-foot silk banner carried in that year's Independence Day parade.
Now, a century later, Preservation Houston will present the restored 1915 flag prototype to the city of Houston — and you're invited to join us.