pl-l-14-00028_nomination_staff_report

LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO.3: L-14-00028

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

L-14-00028 Public hearing for consideration of placing the structure located at 1000 New York Street on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

B. HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

1000 New York Street is not listed in the National Register of Historic Places or the Register of Historic Kansas Places.

C. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

1) History Summary

According to the information supplied in the nomination application, the structure located at 1000 New York Street was constructed in 1872 at a cost of $2500. The Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show a brick one story structure identified as the German Methodist Church in 1889 and 1897. This structure is shown to have a cupola on the front/west elevation. The 1905 map identifies the structure located at 1000 New York Street as the German Methodist Church built in 1872 with stove heat and gas lights. The cupola is not noted on the 1905 map, but the structure is shown as a one story brick structure.

The nomination information and the thesis written by Katja Rampelmann “Small Town Germans: The Germans of Lawrence, Kansas, from 1854 to 1918,” note that six German Methodist settled in Lawrence in June 1859. According to Rampelmann, they came from Berea, Ohio and were placed into a circuit with other settlements in the area. The group remained with other settlements until 1893. Ramplemann notes that the Lawrence German Methodist Episcopal Church bought the old Turner Hall located on the southwest corner of New York Street and Berkeley Street (10^th Street) in December of 1862 for $500. In 1872 the church purchased the property across the street (1000 New York) from Frederick Bromelsick, a member of the church, to build a new church.

The German Methodist Episcopal Church retained ownership of the building until September 1917 according to the nomination. The Seventh Day Adventist Church occupied the building from c.1918/1919 to sometime in the 1960’s. The Full Gospel Christian Assembly occupied the building in the 1960’s, but by the 1966 City Directory the Pentecostal Holiness Church was located in the structure. Faith Southern Baptist Church was the last religious use of the building ending in 1990. The building was converted to a residential structure in 1991.

2) Architectural Integrity Summary

The structure located at 1000 New York Street is a good example of a vernacular interpretation of a Gothic Revival religious building built in the City Building period as identified in Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas MPDF. The one story structure has a partial stone foundation, a gable roof, and is clad in stucco. The basic rectangular form has an addition to the east that makes the overall size of the structure approximately 62’ X 29’. Photos supplied by the applicant show that the structure is brick with stone lintels. The 1905 Sanborn map shows the structure as brick and by the 1927 map the structure notes identify “plastered wall”. The west elevation is the primary elevation and has a centered gabled projection with a stepped arch opening that is partially filled and has a new door. Above the projection is a recessed decorative trefoil. Filled lancet arched windows are located on each side of the main door projection and buttresses accentuate the north and south ends of the façade. Both north and south elevations have a series of lancet arched windows. Some of the windows retain their 4/4 configuration while some have been filled to accommodate interior functions of the structure.

Known alterations to the structure include the addition of stucco (pre 1927), an addition to the east end of the structure (c. 1950), replacement roof materials, filled window openings, skylights, and the alteration of the interior to allow for the new residential use (c. 1991).

While there have been alterations to the structure, the overall form and 1927 appearance of the structure maintain integrity of design and craftsmanship. The structure maintains significant integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship that make it worthy of preservation.

3) Context Description

The area surrounding 1000 New York Street is predominantly residential with a neighborhood elementary school, New York Elementary School, directly to the north. According to the school’s web site, the original school was built on this site in 1869 and was removed for the current structure that dates to 1937. Historically, the area developed as a dense residential neighborhood east of the downtown commercial district. Part of the East Lawrence Neighborhood, the area developed as described in the MPDF Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, with typical residential land use patterns from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Community/neighborhood churches were part of the historic neighborhood. The area was platted as part of the Original Townsite.

4) Planning and Zoning Considerations

1000 New York Street is zoned RS 5, Single-Dwelling Residential District. The primary purpose of the RS districts is to accommodate predominantly single detached dwelling units on individual lots. The districts are intended to create, maintain and promote housing opportunities for individual households, although they do permit nonresidential uses that are compatible with residential neighborhoods. The RS Districts are differentiated on the basis of required minimum lot size – the RS5 requiring 5,000 square feet. The current use of the property is residential.

The majority of the area surrounding 1000 New York Street is zoned RS5 for residential use. The property to the north, New York Elementary School, is zoned GPI- General Public and Institutional Use District.

5) Fiscal Comments

There are no monetary benefits directly associated with nomination of a structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places at this time. However, Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence does identify mechanisms for financial incentives. If these programs become available in the future, structures listed on the Lawrence Register will be eligible for participation.

Listing on the local register does help preserve built resources important to Lawrence's history and helps to maintain streetscapes in older neighborhoods through environs reviews.

The original information submitted with nominations for properties to the Lawrence Register is kept on file in the City Planning office for public review and consultation with regard to development projects within the notification area. This type of information is useful, for example, if present or future property owners seek nomination to the State or National Register of Historic Places.

6) Positive/Negative Effects of the Designation

The positive effect of designation is the creation of a permanent record of the historical significance of an individual property, for its architectural quality or its association with a significant local individual or event. This provides the local Historic Resources Commission with pertinent historical data which can help to provide an ‘historic' perspective to property owners when they desire to improve, add on, or redevelop a property within an older section of the City.

The public accessibility of this information is also a resource as it can be used by realtors, builders/developers, and others in the community prior to a property's resale, redevelopment or rehabilitation. In a more general sense, this information can be used by the Chamber of Commerce and existing businesses and industries to ‘identify' one of the facets that makes up Lawrence's Quality of Living.

Additional effects of designation are the creation of an arbitrary, 250' environs notification and review area. Within this 250' circle, projects which require city permits, e.g., demolition, redevelopment, renovation or modification, require review by Historic Resources staff or the Commission. These environs reviews permit scrutiny of proposed development/redevelopment by individuals sensitive to historic preservation.

A Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship is required to be issued by the Historic Resources Commission before a City permit can be issued for the proposed project. If the Historic Resources Commission denies a Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship, the property owner can appeal to the City Commission for a new hearing. The City Commission can uphold the decision of the HRC or it can grant the proposed development over the Historic Resources Commission's action. Certificates of Appropriateness or Economic Hardship are required for a project within the 250' radius of a Local Register property.

Examples of projects which would require review and approval are: projects involving the exterior building which are considered ‘structural' changes, demolitions or partial demolitions, rezonings, replats, site plans, variance requests or other items which require a city permit or are the direct result of an action of the City Commission. Minor changes which require a city permit can be administratively approved by the Historic Resources Administrator.

7) Summary of Applicable Designation Criteria

Chapter 22, of the City Code is the Conservation of Historic Resources Code for the City of Lawrence. Section 22-403 of this code establishes criteria for the evaluation of an application for nomination to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

D. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND DESIGNATION - Section 22-403

Nine criteria are provided within this section for review and determination of qualification as a Landmark or Historic District. These criteria are set forth below with staff's recommendations as to which this application qualifies for:

(1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state, or nation;

(2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;

(3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state, or nation;

(4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;

(5) Its identification as a work of a master builder, designer, architect, or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or nation;

(6) Its embodiment of elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;

1000 New York Street is a good example of a vernacular interpretation of a Gothic Revival religious building built in the City Building period as identified in Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas MPDF.

(7) Its embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;

(8) Its unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;

(9) Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure; including, but not limited to farmhouses, gas stations, or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance.

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The HISTORIC RESOURCES CODE establishes a procedure to follow in the forwarding of a recommendation to the City Commission on applications for listing on the local register.

"Following the hearing the commission shall adopt by resolution a recommendation to be submitted to the city commission for either (a) designation as a landmark or historic district; (b) not to designate as a landmark or historic district; or, (c) not to make a recommendation. The resolution shall be accompanied by a report to the city commission containing the following information:

The Historic Resources Commission needs to formulate its recommendation in response to the following subsections section 22-404.2 (b):

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit, that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

(4) In the case of a nominated historic district found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The types of significant exterior architectural features of the structures within the nominated historic district that should be protected;

(C) A list of all key contributing, contributing and noncontributing sites, structures and objects within the historic district.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

(6) The relationship of the nominated landmark or historic district to the on-going effort of the commission to identify and nominate all potential areas and structures that meet the criteria for designation.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark or the boundaries of the nominated historic district.

E. RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the German Methodist Episcopal Church located at 1000 New York Street for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #6 as described in Section 22-403.

If the Historic Resources Commission recommends this property for local nomination, the Commission should adopt a resolution for recommendation to be submitted to the City Commission for designation as a landmark. In addition to the resolution, the Commission should direct staff to prepare a report to accompany the resolution including the information set forth in Section 22-404.2(1) - (7) and the environs definition.

Staff recommends the following for the report to the City Commission:

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

The German Methodist Episcopal Church is significant for its architecture.

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

The structure maintains significant integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship that make it worthy of preservation.

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

The wood windows, projecting gable entrance, and the trefoil detail on the west elevation should be protected.

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

Alterations to the windows and siding should require a Certificate of Appropriateness.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, published in 1990, and any future amendments, in addition to any criteria specified by Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence, Kansas.

The HRC may also adopt An Analysis of the Environs for 1000 New York Street and delineate how environs review will be conducted in relation to the listed property. The analysis is attached with the delineation of environs areas.

A primary goal of the HRC is to build a Register of properties which show the diversity and growth of Lawrence since its inception. The nomination of this property is another step toward registering a wide variety of historic properties which together present a visual history of Lawrence’s past. The goal of the Lawrence Register of Historic Places is to represent all socioeconomic strata; businesses and industries which illustrate the diversity that has been prevalent in Lawrence since its inception.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark.

See attached

Environs Definition- See attached