LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 6: L-04-01-2004

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

L-04-01-2004: Hold public hearing for consideration of placing the structure located at 1927 Learnard Avenue on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

B. HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

1927 Learnard Avenue is not listed on the State or the National Registers of Historic Places.

C. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

1) History Summary

According to the nomination, the structure was constructed c. 1926-1929. The architect/builder of the structure is not known. The abstract for the property shows that Julius H. Holke sold the property to Merritt E. Zinn in 1926. Zinn was a Lawrence streetcar motorman listed in the 1930 City Directory as 41 years of age with a wife, Evelyn, age 22 and two children, ages six and four. The nomination material later identifies the children as Edward Jr. and Ronald E. Zinn. The Zinns sold the property to the Douglas County Building & Loan Association in 1936. Subsequent owners included Edith and C.F. Barncord (1944), Leonard A. and Patsy Stanwix (1945), Eunice A. and Arthur W. Cattlett (1946-1979), Helen DiAnn Clark (1979), and William S. Burroughs (1983). The property is now owned by the William S. Burroughs Trust.

The structure at 1927 Learnard Avenue is architecturally significant as a good example of the bungalow house type that was constructed in Lawrence between 1920 and 1945. The National Register of Historic Places multiple property documentation form “Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas” identifies the bungalow or bungaloid type as “one of the most popular forms of housing for the middle class in early twentieth century America.” Most of these houses were not architect designed and many were based on readily available pattern books. The nomination material for 1927 Learnard Avenue suggests that this structure may be a “mail-order” house from Montgomery Ward. The structure located at 1927 Learnard Avenue is a good example of the bungalow type with craftsman detailing.

1927 Learnard Avenue is perhaps most significant for its association with the author William S. Burroughs. Burroughs occupied the house from 1982 until his death in August 1997. The nomination material notes that Burroughs lived longer at this address “than any in his life before those years.” While Burroughs is best known for the Naked Lunch (1959), he continued to write and began a painting career while he lived at 1927 Learnard Avenue. In 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1984 he was named a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. While Burroughs association with the structure at 1927 Learnard Avenue has not achieved “historic” significance as defined by the National Park Service (fifty years), Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence does not preclude the listing of properties for significance achieved within the last fifty years.

2) Architectural Integrity Summary

1927 Learnard Avenue is a good example of the bungalow house type with craftsman detailing. This house type was common across the United States in the first half of the twentieth century and was most popular with the middle class. 1927 Learnard Avenue has a typical rectangular bungalow form with a gently pitched broad gabled-end roof. Craftsman detailing on the structure includes the front porch supports which are wood, tapered square columns on masonry piers. The structure is sheathed with wood novelty siding and has a red asphalt shingle roof. The windows on the structure are a combination of 4/1 and 3/1’s in the craftsman style.

The nomination application notes six known alterations to the structure including the addition of a porch at the west end of the house. The majority of the alterations to the structure have been for repair and the structure maintains its historic integrity. Other alterations to the property include landscaping changes in the addition of two ponds and a cat cemetery.

3) Context Description

1927 Learnard Avenue is a good example of the housing that was constructed in Lawrence during the “Quiet University Town (1900-1945)” as defined by the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF). This MPDF notes that there was a significant trend to build new residential districts south of 15^th Street in the early twentieth century.

The area surrounding 1927 Learnard Avenue is a quiet residential area that is an excellent example of the evolution of residential areas close to the city center in Lawrence. The age of the extant structures in the area ranges from the late 1800’s to the 1970’s. Spalding’s subdivision was platted in 1926 and shows the development pattern of dividing the larger “family” lots into smaller parcels for new residential development. The area maintains the residential character that existed when 1927 Learnard was constructed.

4) Planning and Zoning Considerations

1927 Learnard Avenue is zoned RS-2, Single-Family Residence District. The RS districts are designed for those areas where the land is presently being used, or where development appears desirable, for single-family dwellings. In addition to the general purposes applying to residential districts, the regulations for the RS Districts are designed to encourage the provision of single-family, detached residences in districts of four permitted densities.

5) Fiscal Comments

There are no monetary benefits directly associated with nomination of a structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

However, 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. Copies of this information are also on file at the Kansas Collection in Spencer Research Library on the University of Kansas main campus and at the Watkin’s Community Museum. 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, an advisory board, 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.

The local ordinance 250' environs review area is exceeded by State law with regard to State and/or National Register properties. 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 Local 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;

1927 Learnard Avenue is significant for its association with the author William S. Burroughs.

(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;

1927 Learnard Avenue is a good example of the bungalow house type with craftsman detailing. This house type is often associated with the early twentieth century middle class is important to the study of the evolution of architectural styles in Lawrence.

(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;

(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:

The Zinn-Burroughs House at 1927 Learnard Avenue qualifies for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #3 and #4, as described in Section 22-403.

If the Historic Resources Commission recommends this property for local nomination, the Commission should direct staff to draft a resolution for recommendation to be submitted to the City Commission for designation as a landmark. In addition to the resolution, staff should prepare a report to accompany this resolution including the information set forth in Section 22-404.2(1) - (7) and an environs definition. The Historic Resources Commission would review the report, environs definition, and adopt the resolution for nomination at their July 15, 2004 meeting.