Heritage, 2008, Volume 3 Page: 12
31 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Images at top, left to right, clockwise: current photograph of the property at Rio Grande and 15th streets in Austin; architectural details that can still
be seen in the dining room (both images by Matthew Fuller and courtesy of Humanities Texas); historic Byrne-Reed house, in black and white, before
it was remodeled as an office building; courtesy of Tom Reynolds.and serves the entire state with grants, traveling
exhibits, public lectures, and teaching institutes.
The need for offices and public programming
space, combined with the home's architectural
and historical significance, made the Byrne-Reed
House an ideal location for Humanities Texas.
"When we began looking for a new location,
our first criteria was to find a structure with a rich
heritage, not a 'glass box' or a new structure,"
said Humanities Texas's Executive Director
Michael L. Gillette. "We wanted a place that
would evoke our organization's emphasis on
culture and history. At the same time, having
a location that was centrally located and still
accessible was important."
Dr. Gillette, who has worked at Humanities
Texas since 2003, described the organization's
previous location in South Austin as having the
same visibility as a post office box, saying "even
some of our board members were not aware of
where the office was."
Restoration of the Byrne-Reed home means
dramatic changes for the exterior and interior,
including the removal of several interior walls to
return the first-floor plan to the circa-1906 layout.
When completed the first floor will contain
a 600-square-foot meeting room with seating
for 75 and other public spaces where Humanities
Texas can, for the first time, host on-site programs,
exhibits, and seminars.During the renovation, Humanities Texas also
plans on updating the mechanical systems and
making the home more environmentally friendly.
The hope is that long-term savings will make
the two goals of environmental sustainability and
historic preservation possible. A prime example of
this compatibility is the restoration of the porches
and terraces, which will not only match the
circa-1906 architectural design, but will also provide
shade and generate airflow, meaning cooler
temperatures in the hot summers.
In addition to the removal of the stucco and
restoration of the porches, the external renovations
also include the reopening of the main entrance
on Rio Grande Street, complete with its
large brick archway. When the home was built,
the original address was on Rio Grande Street,
but during subsequent renovations the main
entrance off the large front porch was enclosed
and the secondary door on 15th Street became
the primary entryway. The addition of large
columns on the 15th Street side completed the
reorientation of the building and resulted in a
change of address. Since the restoration includes the
removal of the columns and the reopening of the
main entrance, Humanities Texas has been able to
change the address back to Rio Grande Street.
Just developing a historically accurate architectural
plan has been a feat in itself A grant from
the Texas Historical Commission has providedsupport for Humanities Texas to complete a Historic
Structure Report, which has combined narrative
and documented histories, graphics, and
current physical conditions into a comprehensive
document essential to the restoration and preservation
processes. Research, photographs, and
stories from family and friends of the original
owners have helped generate an overall picture,
while some of the internal architectural details,
including the ceiling moldings and window
frames, have been revealed by removal of tiles
from the suspended ceilings.
"Whenever we had a free hour after the move,
we used to grab a ladder and flashlight and go exploring
around the house," said Gillette. "There
have been some interesting finds above the false
ceilings, including the unique diamond-shaped
window on the second floor, visible in photographs
from Rio Grande Street, and an extension
of the beam ceiling at the base of the main stairway
into the south end of the house."
Other architectural elements, such as the original
terra cotta frieze above the north entrance, are
still visible today, and the dining room and central
staircase also showcase some of the fine existing
features that remain on the interior. On
the exterior, small sections of stucco have been
removed to examine the original brick in a
process described as "selective reversible demolition."
With the help of historic preservationHERITAGE Volume 3 2008
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Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2008, Volume 3, periodical, 2008; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45357/m1/12/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.