Grayson County TXGenWeb

July 19, 1995

Mr. Vernon Temple
Chair, Board of Directors
Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County
901 N. Grand Avenue
Sherman TX 75090

Dear Vernon:

I can't tell you how pleased I was to read in the latest issue of Habitat News that the house at 1011 W. Bond Street has been selected for rehabilitation. For many years when I was a child, this was the home of my great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William R. White, Sr.

I think it might be valuable for Habitat to inform the Whites' descendents that the rehabilitation is taking place. Some might wish to contribute funds, labor, or materials to the rehabilitation project. I attach a separate sheet of addresses of a few of these. Anne Goddard, in particular, might know addresses of numerous others.

As a member of the Keep Denison Beautiful Commission and the Denison Chamber of Commerce's Historic Affairs Committee, I hope that Habitat for Humanity, in its work rehabilitating this house, will bear in mind that the 1000 block of West Bond is a prime candidate for designation as part of a residential historic district. Most of the old structures on the block remain intact, and several are extraordinarily important parts of Denison's architectural heritage. Thus it is crucial that Habitat not damage the integrity of the Prairie Style Bungalow at 1011 W. Bond, despite its dilapidated condition. If you do so, it could jeopardize future plans for historic district status for the block.

To guide your thinking in this regard, I am attaching a copy of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Indeed, I hope that Habitat will take these guidelines as a model for approaching all the organization's projects; but it is especially important that you do so in regard to buildings of historical merit or ones that form part of intact historic areas.

To learn more about options and funding in rehabilitation of historic structures, members of your organization might consider attending the major national convention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is to be held in Fort Worth in October. Attached you will find an application for scholarships to cover the costs of attending this meeting. If you'd like to talk further about all this, please let me know.

Sincerely,
(Dr.) Mavis Anne Bryant

P.S. I wonder if I might be permitted to take cuttings from plants in the yard at 1011 W. Bond. My great-grandmother was an avid gardener and pecan collector.

cc: David Bryant
Anne Goddard

enc. Standards for Rehabilitation
National Trust for HP Meeting information