May 4, 2022
What do a theater, a stadium and a former candy factory have in common? They all made Historic Fort Worth, Inc.’s 2022 list of most endangered places.
With the exception of 2020 and 2021, the preservation nonprofit has been putting together a list every year since 2004 to mark national preservation month and raise awareness of local structures in need of support.
Each year, the historic preservation group issues a public call for submissions. Their public affairs committee reviews the list and determines if the structures truly are at risk, which includes everything from facing encroaching development, structural damage or are in need of financial support to carry out a restoration plan.
“It’s really wonderful to have the public looking for endangered properties as well as our members, because everybody lives in different places, drives to work in different places, sees things differently,” said Jerre Tracy, the group’s executive director.
After the public affairs committee reviews and edits the list, they hand it off to Historic Fort Worth’s board for further review. The board can also make additions to the list.
“Really, it’s not meant to be punitive. It’s meant to create a conversation that typically doesn’t happen unless people are given permission in some way to talk about buildings that they see are in distress or that are hard to fund because the group is small and the building is big,” Tracy explained. “We could go on and on, but there’s so many different circumstances where a building needs some additional help.”
In the past, Historic Fort Worth put one of its own buildings, Thistle Hill, on the list, and other building owners have nominated themselves as well.
The list has its advantages, John Roberts, an architect and the chair of Historic Fort Worth’s public affairs committee, said.
“It is notifying the public and making them aware of the building’s importance in the city. It’s also an educational tool. We’re saying that these buildings are threatened in some form, and the public should be made aware,” Roberts explained. “And it’s saved a lot of buildings, too, over the years because it’s generated more interest.”
Appearing on the list doesn’t prevent demolition, but dozens of structures have been preserved or designated as a landmark at the municipal, state or federal level. Having these designations can help cut down on costs of restoration through programs like the Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program and the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, which offer a 25% and 20% tax credit on respectively for rehab costs of eligible buildings.
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