SELECTED PROJECTS

 
 
 

Historic Furnishings Reports for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Fire Station No. 6, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park
Atlanta, Georgia
2019—2020

HHM prepared three historic furnishings reports for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Fire Station No. 6 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (MALU) in Atlanta, Georgia. Preparation of the report involved in-depth archival and collections research at several repositories in Georgia and Massachusetts. These three documents will guide the National Park Service and MALU in future preservation and interpretive planning endeavors involving the Birth Home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Fire Station No. 6  and related buildings and structures at the Park.

Each of the three reports analyzed the three main historic buildings with the Park, all of which are significant for their relation to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. This work involved analysis of archival material, present conditions, and an extensive furnishings and objects collection to document the historic appearance of the buildings over their periods of significance. Each historic furnishings report contains a written narrative of each building’s interiors based on this research. It also recommends the location and placement of furnishings, objects, and equipment including those from the MALU collection and those that would need to be acquired; provided direction for the restoration of historic finishes and systems; and offers suggestions for interpretation, operation, security, and accessibility.

 
 
 

City of Dallas Historic Context Assessment and Survey of Greater Downtown and Deep Ellum
Dallas, Texas
2020—2022

Between 2020 and 2022, HHM completed a historic resources survey project for the City of Dallas and Preservation Dallas. As part of the project, HHM surveyed nearly 800 resources in downtown and the Deep Ellum neighborhood. HHM assessed individual resources and areas for National Register and local landmark eligibility. A National Register nomination for a Deep Ellum historic district is currently underway, based on the recommendations of HHM’s survey report.

To help assess the historical significance of resources in the survey area, as well as across the city, HHM prepared 22 thematic historic context statements. HHM worked closely with the City, Preservation Dallas, and community stakeholders to identify the most relevant historic context statements for the city. Among the various historic contexts completed include: Reconstruction, the Jim Crow Era, and the Civil Rights Movement; Geography and Topography; Municipal and County Governments; President John F. Kennedy Assassination; Industry; and Tourism and Hospitality.

 
 
 

El Paso Segundo Barrio National Register Nomination
El Paso, Texas
2020—2021

In 2020, HHM was contracted by El Paso County to complete a National Register district nomination for the Segundo Barrio neighborhood south of downtown El Paso. Segundo Barrio is a dense, mixed-use district, historically serving a majority Mexican American population since 1884. After completing a survey of roughly 1,000 resources in El Paso’s Segundo Barrio, HHM worked closely with El Paso County, community stakeholders, and the Texas Historical Commission to determine boundaries for the historic district. HHM conducted in-depth research, focusing particularly on the district’s ethnic and social history and how it impacted the architecture of Segundo Barrio. In accordance with National Register requirements, HHM then prepared a complete National Register nomination package including photographs, maps, and relevant additional documentation. The Segundo Barrio Historic District includes 894 resources (688 contributing and 206 noncontributing) and was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places in November 2021.

 
 
 

Austin Historic Building Survey
Austin, Texas
2019—2021

In August 2019, HHM & Associates, Inc. (HHM) entered into a contract with the City of Austin to complete a Historic Building Survey. The goal of the project was to locate, identify, and document all resources built in or before 1974 within the survey boundaries and determine whether any of the properties or collection of properties meet the City’s criteria for historic zoning. This effort was consistent with the 2012 Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, which sets forth preservation as a key goal for the city and designates survey and documentation as essential steps toward meeting that goal. Funded by the City’s Historic Preservation Fund, this project also aimed to identify properties that may promote heritage tourism in Austin.

 
 
 

Fort Worth Historic Context and Survey Plan
Fort Worth, Texas
2019—2021

From 2019 through 2021, the City of Fort Worth contracted HHM & Associates, Inc. (HHM) to complete a multi-phased Citywide Historic Context and Survey Plan. Under Phase I, HHM prepared a historic context for the period from 1900 to 1945. HHM completed the geographic context and the historic contexts covering the mid-nineteenth century to 1899 and 1946 to 1980 under Phases II and III between 2020 and 2021. This Citywide Historic Context forms a framework that knits together the significance of previously designated landmarks and historic districts, while providing helpful background for potential future designations and preservation planning.

Phase IV of the project, undertaken from 2020 to 2021, consists of a survey plan addendum for documenting historic resources within Fort Worth city limits. The plan recommends a phased approach to be completed over a multi-year period as funding for survey efforts becomes available. The survey plan also targets approximate costs associated with each phase of the citywide survey. As part of the development of the survey plan, HHM built a custom historic resources database template for the City of Fort Worth using ESRI’s ArcGIS Online Collector App. This tool allows for a survey team to utilize handheld devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, to document historic resources remotely in the field.

 
 
 

Cambridge Tower National Register Nomination
Austin, Texas
2017—2018

HHM prepared a National Register nomination for Cambridge Tower, one of Austin’s significant Modern high-rise apartment buildings. In consultation with the condominium board and property owners, HHM conducted research and fieldwork involving photography and notation of all relevant character‐defining features of the building on both the exterior and interior. In accordance with National Register requirements, HHM prepared a complete National Register nomination package including photographs, maps, and relevant additional documentation, as well as completing a City of Austin Historic Landmark application. Cambridge Tower was listed on the NRHP in 2018.

 
 
 
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Boston African American Historic District
Boston, Massachusetts
2016—2017

HHM prepared a National Register district nomination for a Boston African American National Historic Site (BOAF) on Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. BOAF is a currently listed district comprised of 16 individual resources that are on the Black Heritage Trail® and also contributing resources to other NR-listed districts. HHM surveyed 16 domestic, educational, religious, and commemorative resources and assessed the district’s cultural landscape as well as the surrounding context. To create a comprehensive history of the district HHM undertook archival research to determine the historical development of the neighborhood and to identify appropriate architectural themes and historic contexts. HHM assessed the district within the framework of existing national and local designations and within the previously explored contexts such as the Underground Railroad. HHM historians and architectural historians investigated areas of significance including pre-Civil War African American settlement on the North Slope of Beacon Hill, the impact of the abolition movement and Underground Railroad in the community, the role of educational and religious institutions in the African American community, and commemoration of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.

 
 
 
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Historic Texas Highways
Meridian Highway, Burkburnett to Galveston and Laredo
Bankhead Highway, Texarkana to El Paso

2014–2016

Following the completion of the Texas Historical Commission’s inaugural project of the Texas Historic Roads and Highway Program – The Development of Highways in Texas: A Historic Context of the Bankhead Highway and Other Historic Named Highways – HHM was awarded the program’s second project – The Meridian Highway through Texas. For these projects, HHM conducted research on the history of the highways and completed historic contexts for each. HHM’s GIS team used historic maps and guidebooks to map the route of the historic highways through the state. HHM’s team of professional architectural historians followed these routes, documenting highway‐related resources along the way using digital survey tablets.

Data and reports available with the Texas Historical Commission:
Meridian Highway
Bankhead Highway

 
 
 
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Brownsville Historic Resources Survey and National Register Historic District
Brownsville, Texas

2017–2018

For the City of Brownsville, HHM documented the architecture, history, and culture of the city. HHM updated the city’s 2000 Historic Resources Survey in a three-part process: comprehensive survey of resources within the potential Downtown and West End National Register Historic District; survey of historic mid-century (1950-1970) resources within the 2000 survey boundary; and survey of historic-age (pre-1971) resources outside the 2000 survey boundary. HHM documented2,119resources, augmenting the survey and analysis process with historical research. The updated historic resources survey report made recommendations for the designation of local historic landmarks and to list historic properties in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic resources survey report also established priorities for local preservation and rehabilitation efforts, in coordination with economic development and preservation programs for the City and the Main Street Program.

The second component of the project was the completion of an NRHP nomination for a downtown Brownsville historic district. HHM completed a comprehensive inventory of all resources within the district boundaries and took additional photographs, including streetscape views and representative examples of noncontributing resources. HHM personnel undertook focused research examining the physical evolution and history of the district and its occupants within the context of local history. After preparing and receiving THC approval of the determination of eligibility, HHM prepared a complete nomination package including required narrative descriptions, statements of significance, sketch maps, photographs, maps, and additional documentation. The State Board of Review approved HHM’s nomination in January 2019.

HHM conducted all work in accordance with guidelines and regulations mandated though the grant that the City of Brownsville received from the Texas Historical Commission through its CLG Program.

 
 
 

Historic Resources Survey of East Austin
Austin, Texas

2016

HHM completed a comprehensive historic resources survey of East Austin for the City of Austin. 6,600 resources were documented in the survey including single- and multi-family housing, commercial, religious, industrial, and recreational sites. Survey crews used digital tablets to document resources in the field. HHM also conducted in-depth archival research and conducted multiple oral histories in order to complete both a citywide historic context and a historic context for East Austin. HHM assessed resources for both City of Austin landmark eligibility and NRHP-eligibility, and also assessed areas for historic district eligibility. Working with the City of Austin, HHM conducted and participated in public outreach meetings throughout the duration of the project.

Data and reports available with the City of Austin:
East Austin Historical Survey

 
 
 
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Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park (LYJO)
Stonewall, Texas

2014–2016

HHM provided a Combined Historic Structure and Historic Furnishings Report for the Secret Service Command Post, a Historic Structure Report for the Aides and Communications Complex and a Historic Furnishings Report for the working Show Barn at the Ranch Unit of LYJO.

The Historic Structure Report provides a management summary, developmental history, proposals for treatment and use, and documentation of the physical structures related to the Aides and Communications Complex

The Historic Furnishings Report contains a written narrative of the building’s interiors based on research. It recommends the location and placement of furnishings, objects, and equipment including those from the LYJO collection and those that would need to be acquired. Additionally it provides direction for the restoration of historic finishes and systems, and offers suggestions for interpretation, operation, security, and accessibility.

 
 
 

VA Medical Center Historic District Design Guidelines
San Francisco, California
2015

HHM worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a set of Historic District Design Guidelines to guide future development on the campus of their San Francisco Medical Center, a portion of which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District. These design guidelines have been produced to facilitate smooth and efficient review of new construction projects that are designed to sustain and enhance the Department of Veterans Affairs' ability to fulfill its medical mission. The guidelines interpret the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and apply them to the unique historic features within the SFVAMC Historic District.

 
 
 

Fischer National Register Historic District
Fischer, Comal County, Texas
2017

HHM completed a National Register nomination for the Fischer Historic District in Comal County, Texas. The historic district contains over 100 resources associated with the small rural agricultural community of Fischer in northern Comal County. HHM surveyed agricultural complexes, residences, commercial resources, and assessed the district’s cultural landscape. All resources within the district were photographed and mapped. HHM performed in-depth historical research; gathering historic maps, photographs, newspaper articles, and family histories. The nomination officially listed in the National Register in 2017.

 
 
 

Thematic Contexts for Mining, Timber, and Rural Farmsteading
Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri

2009–2010

HHM prepared three thematic historic contexts; Mining, Timber and Rural Farmsteading, for the United States Department of Agriculture–Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. The thematic contexts included narratives of the historic development of mining, timber and farmsteading activities in the Missouri Ozarks, a property type analysis of historic resources, and a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) evaluation framework relevant to each theme. The historic contexts incorporated numerous historical themes pertaining to the evolution of mining, timber and farmsteading in the region. The property type analysis included typologies which provided a historical structure to the evolution of property types. The section also included photographs detailing property types as they would appear today in a forest setting. Finally, the NRHP evaluation framework, or registration requirements, included evaluation criteria as well as significance and integrity discussions related to each historic theme. The final report provides Mark Twain National Forest cultural resource staff with a valuable tool to guide future NRHP-eligibility evaluations for historic resources associated with mining, timber and farmsteading.

 
 
 

A Guide to Architecture and Engineering Firms of the Cold War Era
Department of Defense, Legacy Program
2010

A Guide to Architecture and Engineering Firms of the Cold War Era describes the role and makeup of key A/E firms during the Cold War. The project aims to inform evaluation of NRHP eligibility under Criterion C, the evaluation required by Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The report provides a biographical narrative and catalog of each selected firm’s military work, demonstrating the range of commissions for custom-designed singular buildings. As a result, the project provides a necessary resource to aid NRHP evaluation efforts for Cold War era military construction.

The project focuses on custom-designed resources constructed during the Cold War period (1946–1989). The final document provides the framework for future NRHP-eligibility assessments and evaluations for significance of architect- and engineer-designed buildings on Department of Defense (DoD) installations. By highlighting and examining the roles of these firms during the Cold War, the project aids NRHP evaluations relating to Criterion C for properties that possess distinctive design/construction elements and represent the work of a prominent architect or engineer.

Overall, the intention of the project is to provide DoD with a useful tool in assessing the role of individual architectural and engineering firms during major building campaigns associated with the Cold War.

 
 
 

A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas: 2016 Update
Texas Department of Transportation
2016

HHM completed an update to the 2003 A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas, originally prepared by W. Dwayne Jones. The updated field guide incorporates new features, including a company branding guide that provides graphic clues to identify, categorize, and evaluate gas stations. Other additions to the guide include a matrix that visually explores the evolution of gas stations by major oil companies over time, as well as showcasing the evolution of the retail gas station industry and new design aesthetics intended to make gas stations stand out along roadsides in some eras, but later made to blend in with surrounding residential areas in other years and periods. Finally, the updated guide includes an expanded registration requirements and FAQ section that helps cultural resource management professionals better understand significance and assess integrity for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) evaluations.

Report available with the Texas Historical Commission:
A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas: 2016 Update