Preservation Council To Unveil Signs For Historic District

The City of McAllen Historic Preservation Council in partnership with the Las Palmas Neighborhood Association will have an unveiling ceremony for the signs announcing the Las Palmas Historic District. The ceremony will take place on Friday October 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and 15th Street.

The first historic district in McAllen was established by the City Commission on September 8, 2008 to recognize a group of unique and historic structures in one neighborhood. Below please find some facts about the historic district:

• Based on a 2005 historic resources survey 32 structures within the district were identified as “Contributing” to the city’s historic resources;
• Six buildings were found to be “Highly Contributing” and were recommended to the National Register of Historic Places, specifically: 300, 505, 520, 612, 704 and 707 North 15th Street; 
• The Miller House at 707 North 15th Street within the district is already a city, state and national landmark making it the only residential property in McAllen with all three landmark designations;
• The area of the district evidences different architectural styles with popular twentieth-century building methods;
• Lots in the district typically have only one house and perhaps an outbuilding (guesthouse);
• In the district the architectural styles are typical of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, namely Craftsman and Eclectic Revival styles with examples of Mission Revival, Spanish Eclectic and Tudor Revival;
• House forms and materials are typical of the various styles and include wood, brick and stucco;
• Despite variations of style and scale, the area’s streetscapes are unified by landscaping and setbacks.

For more information contact Xavier Cervantes, Neighborhood Planner, at 681-1250 or by email at xcervantes@mcallen.net