Of the 281 resources in the district, 95% of them are considered to be “historic-age” and were built by 1973.
DALLAS — As Deep Ellum approaches a historic anniversary, the North Texas entertainment district will soon be looking to tack on a prestigious title from a national organization.
On Saturday at 9 a.m., the Texas Historical Commission’s State Board of Review will view the neighborhood’s nomination application to become a historic property in the organization’s National Register of Historic Places.
Unlike the majority of the nominations the board reviews, this isn’t an application for a single building; this application includes 268 buildings in all.
Among these, 214 are considered contributing and 54 are considered noncontributing.
Deep Ellum owes the bulk of its history to the opening of a rail line coming to Dallas on July 16, 1872, which is why this is the year being celebrated as its 150th birthday.
The application said an overwhelming majority of buildings retain sufficient integrity to contribute to the historic character of the district.
Of the 281 resources in the district, 95% of them are considered to be “historic-age” and were built by 1973, according to the application. It also said the majority of these resources in Deep Ellum were built during the 1920s through the 1950s.
To learn more details about the nomination, which includes the 156-page application, you can click here.
“The Texas Historical Commission board evaluated the Deep Ellum Historic District nomination on Friday,” Director of the Communications Division of the Texas Historical Commission Chris Florance said in a statement. “They recommended that the State Historic Preservation Officer (executive director of the THC) approve the nomination to send to the Federal Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places. It’s now in the federal government’s hands whether they will add it to their listing.”
Anyone can nominate a historic property for inclusion in the registry, according to the Texas Historical Commission. The Deep Ellum Foundation submitted the nomination with help from Preservation Dallas and the form was prepared by HHM & Associates, Inc.
There are a variety of grants and tax incentive programs available from the federal government for maintaining National Register-listed properties, the Texas Historical Commission said. Some building owners become eligible for federal income tax credits if they undertake rehabilitation projects that meet certain standards.
According to the Texas Historical Commission, properties that contribute to the historic district can potentially be granted a variance from building codes and are eligible for the same financial incentives and protections afforded to individually listed properties.
There would reportedly be a plaque presented to the Deep Ellum neighborhood from the Department of Interior as well.
The Texas Historical Commission’s registry is different than a site or a park. Other sites in North Texas already in the registry include Dealy Plaza, Highland Park Shopping Village, the Porter Farm in Terrell, Samuel Rayburn’s House in Fannin County and the Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings in Dallas.
To see a full list of the National Register of Historic Places, you can click here.