PRESENTER
Katie Totman, Historic Preservation Officer
SUBJECT:
Case HST25-276: Discuss and Consider a Certificate of Alteration to paint a sign on the south elevation of the Faust Hotel at 240 S Seguin Avenue.
HISTORIC DISTRICT/LANDMARK NAME: Downtown/The Faust Hotel
APPLICABLE CITATIONS:
Sec. 66-57. Alteration certificates for alteration or new construction affecting landmarks or historic districts.
No person shall carry out any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, new construction, removal or relocation of any city designated historic landmark or on any property within a city designated historic district which may affect the appearance and cohesiveness of any historic landmark or any property within a historic district without first obtaining an alteration certification authorizing the change.
Sec. 66-58. Criteria for approval of an alteration certificate.
In considering an application for an alteration certificate, the commission shall be guided by any adopted design guidelines, and where applicable, the following from the secretary of the interior's standards for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Any adopted design guidelines and secretary of the interior's standards shall be made available to the property owners of historic landmarks or within historic districts.
(1) Every reasonable effort shall be made to adapt the property in a manner which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, object, or site and its environment.
(2) The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed when possible. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.
(3) All buildings, structures, objects, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged.
(4) Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected.
(5) Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, object, or site shall be kept where possible.
(6) Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material shall reflect the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historical, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.
(7) The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.
(8) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project.
(9) Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural, or cultural material, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment.
(10) Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to buildings, structures, objects, or sites shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the building, structure, object, or site would be unimpaired.
FINDINGS:
a. The property located at 240 S Seguin is a hotel building known locally as the Faust Hotel. It is an individually designated local landmark and in the Downtown historic district. Constructed in 1929, the hotel features four-floors with masonry-faced concrete walls. The hotel underwent a restoration between 1979 and 1982. Much of the exterior remains relatively unchanged from its original appearance.
b. SIGNAGE: The request for the painted sign was heard by the commission at their meeting on August 12, 2025, and the HLC moved to postpone the case to the regular September meeting to allow the Texas Historical Commission (THC) an opportunity to re-review the proposed painted sign. This is required due to the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) status on the building.
Criteria for Evaluation
(1) Every reasonable effort shall be made to adapt the property in a manner which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, object, or site and its environment. The proposed sign, while painted, could be considered a minimal alteration as it is located at the rear of the structure.
(2) The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed when possible. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible. N/A
(3) All buildings, structures, objects, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged. N/A
(4) Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected. N/A
(5) Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, object, or site shall be kept where possible. N/A
(6) Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material shall reflect the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historical, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures. N/A
(7) The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken. N/A
(8) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project. N/A
(9) Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural, or cultural material, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment. While paint does not physically remove masonry, it may alter the long-term performance of historic brick by affecting its ability to breathe and may be difficult to remove without causing damage. Conversely, the painted sign is located on a tertiary elevation that is less visible within the streetscape, occupies a relatively small section of the overall building's brick, and the work may be considered a reversible alteration depending on the materials used.
(10) Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to buildings, structures, objects, or sites shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the building, structure, object, or site would be unimpaired. While paint does not physically remove masonry, it can alter the long-term performance of historic brick by affecting its ability to breathe and may be difficult to remove without causing damage. Conversely, the painted sign is located on a tertiary elevation that is less visible within the streetscape, occupies a relatively small section of the overall building's brick, and the work may be considered a reversible alteration depending on the materials used.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The applicable criteria state that alterations should not destroy historic material and should be compatible with the property and its setting. The commission must determine whether the paint constitutes destruction of historic masonry, as paint may alter brick performance depending on the type and may be difficult to remove, though it does not physically remove material.