Patterns in Clay

For thousands of years, man has fired clay to build and decorate structures. Tile patterns can rival even the most intricate designs of any woven rug. Two popular styles of tile commonly seen in Galveston are Majolica (a glazed tile) and encaustic tile. Encaustic tile has been popular since the 13th Century, and saw a resurgence of interest in the Late Victorian Period. The tile gets its color from different colors of clay, instead of by applying the color in a glaze. This insures a longer lasting surface and makes this type ideal for floors.

National Park Service Technical Brief on Preserving Historic Ceramic Tile Floors: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief40.htm

Collection of encaustic tile patterns:
http://www.darwincountry.org/explore/001704.html


Helpful article from BuildingConservation.com
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/tiles/tiles.htm


British site that describes different styles:
http://www.tile-heaven.co.uk/index.htm


South Carolina source for encostic and majolica tiles:
http://www.tile-source.com/

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

Here's a useful site that describes the different grades and uses for redwood lumber that may help in your next outdoor project:

http://www.calredwood.org/ref/pdf/graduse.pdf

Finding Inspiration

The online collection available available from the Library of Congress is a great place to research for photos and drawings of architectural styles and details.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/

Fort Worth's Amon Carter Museum offers an online database of Birdseye Maps of early Texas towns.

http://www.birdseyeviews.org/index.php

The photo to the right is of the Marwitz House that once sat on the southwest corner of 22nd and Ball Streets, but was demolished. Image is courtesy of the HABS/HAER Collection.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

To see more Galveston buildings that are no longer around, visit:

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Lost_Galveston.asp

Lead Paint Safety

Lead can be present in many areas, especially with the historic stock of buildings that we have here in Galveston. Levels of lead can be found in historic paint, in dust on window ledges and in the dirt in yards. High levels of lead can damage the kidneys, nervous system and reproductive system. Children are especially at risk from lead poisoning. Exposure can stunt mental and physical growth.

If your house was built before 1978, you most likely have lead based paint present in some level. Lead (often referred to as "White Lead") was used to provide a white base to paint. Color pigments would be added after that. Titanium is now the base for providing the white pigment in most paints. Lead based white paints had a noticeable gray tint to them, where titanium provides a bright white.

There are proper ways to work around paint that may contain lead. Paint that you suspect may contain lead should NEVER be sanded with electric power tools. If you are concerned (especially if you have small children in your house), please contact a certified lead based paint inspector and have your building tested. They should test all surfaces inside and outside the house, as well as the soil in the yard. Layers of paint containing lead can be encapsulated to reduce the exposure to dust and flakes.

If painted areas must be scraped, scrape them by hand and keep the area wet, to minimize dust. Wear proper protective gear. All paint chips should be collected on sheets of plastic and properly disposed of. Waste water from the area should also be collected and treated as hazardous waste.

The following site can answer some frequently asked questions about lead poisoning:

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadpbed.htm#nlic

Link to the Lead Poisoning Prevention website:

http://orgs.unca.edu/eqi/lpp/

Texas Department of State Health Services - Environmental Lead Program:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/elp/

Useful information from the National Safety Council, including an order form for a home lead test kit:

http://www.nsc.org/issues/lead/

Renovation Resources

The following sites are good places to look for those hard to find pieces in your historic rehabilitation project:


http://www.traditional-building.com/

http://www.vandykes.com/

Heirlooms to Pass Down

We see them in all parts of the island - in clusters after summer thunderstorms, tucked in a corner of the yard of a historic home or in vacant lots where houses once stood. They are heirloom bulbs. Heirloom plants are staging a comeback because of their resistance to disease and their ability to survive in the harshest conditions. Bulbs were easy to transport from one homesite to another and quickly multiplied, once established. These were easy to divide and share with friends and family. Their look and fragrance often bring back memories of past times. Their location in the landscape can give clues to the original layout of paths, outbuildings and homesites. The following website has useful information on bulbs seen around many historic homesites.

http://www.oldhousegardens.com/

Wiping the Slate Clean

Roofing materials can have major part in a building's appearance. Many buildings have had three or four different roofing materials during the course of their lifespan. If you want to find the original roofing material, there are several places you can look for clues. One is GHF's Preservation Resource Center, where we have copies of insurance records for many of Galveston's oldest buildings. These can often be used to find the date of construction, past owners, dates of improvements or additions, etc. You can also gather clues to your house's past roofs by looking around the dripline of the roof, in holes dug close to the building and even in the recesses of the attic. As wood shake or slate shingle roofs were replaced, small parts of the material would often fall into the attic. Bits of slate can be used to match color samples of composition shingles that meet current windload code requirements. Some companies, such as CertainTeed offer shingles that mimic the look of true slate roofs. It is a local myth that slate shingles were outlawed after the 1900 Storm, because of damage and dismemberment that may have been caused. This is not true.

Other materials that have been popular on Galveston roofs over the years are pressed metal shingles, asbestos shingles (0ften called "slate") and glazed clay tiles. We have examples of many of these materials in the Preservation Resource Center. There are some metal shingles being produced today that have received windstorm ratings. Examples of these and other roofing materials can be found at GHF's Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd Street.

The Texas Department of Insurance has published a brochure "What to Ask Builders, Realtors, Roofers and Yourself About Protecting Your Home from Hurricanes, High Winds and Hail". It has useful information about proper roof decking, attic ventilation and windstorm connections, when making additions or repairs.

http://flash.org/resources/files/Texas%20Publication.pdf

Before beginning any project (and especially before giving the contractor any money up front), do your homework and make sure they are registered with the City of Galveston's Planning Department (409) 797-3660, are bonded and secure the proper permits.

Deeper Shade of Soul

Probably the biggest mis-conception about GHF is that we govern paint colors on all buildings in Galveston's historic districts.

• The historic districts are governed by the City of Galveston's Landmark Commission.


• The only district where colors are regulated is the Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District.


• GHF only has a say in the exterior of buildings that we've owned and sold or have a facade easement on. This can include paint colors.


• A list of buildings that GHF has protective covenants on can be found at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Covenant_Monitoring.asp

GHF's Preservation Resource Center can be a great place for ideas on how to enhance the architectural features of your building with fresh paint colors. The Vieux Carre Commission in New Orleans has a good general guideline for exterior colors that were in use from 1820 to 1920.

http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/Portal59/portal.aspx?portal=59&tabid=37

Members of GHF get a 30% discount on most paints at Sherwin Williams and KWAL Paint stores across the country, with an active membership card. This discount could in some cases be greater than the cost of your GHF membership, so join today.

In the Preservation Resource Center at the 1861 Custom House, we have color sample boxes and books to help you choose the best combination that works for your building. GHF staff members will be glad to make suggestions. Please call ahead to schedule a time to visit the Preservation Resource Center. (409) 765-7834

In the beginning . . .

In this age of instant answers, I wanted to create a place for the PRC Committee to discuss hot topics and have a way to get this out to those who could use it and give us feedback on how to better promote the benefit of preservation. We welcome suggestions and questions. We are now planning the next series of Demonstration Classes and lectures on preservation topics. I hope to also discuss specific issues and challenges our buildings face - from extreme sun and humidity to salt and storms to insensitive alterations or demolition.