Meeting hosted to discuss Dunbar District

Within the Dunbar Historic District, the buildings and landmarks tell the many stories of San Marcos and the Dunbar community. 

On Monday, a public informational meeting was held at the Cephas House to discuss the benefits of a National Register designation for the district. Lila Knight of the Hays County Historical Commission and Ryan Perkins, president of the Historic Preservation Commission led the conversation.

“Dunbar, as many of us in this room know, has suffered a great deal of setbacks over the course of many decades and generations, most recently due to in-field development and incompatible development surrounding the neighborhood,” Perkins said. 

The Historic Preservation Commission voted to apply for a certified local government grant to recognize the Historic Dunbar District as a National Register District. While the designation will bring benefits, the process is known to be a long one. 

“The National Register is a program that’s administered at the federal level by the National Parks Service, the Texas Historical Commission, state level is heavily involved and helps the folks in Washington, D.C. administer,” Knight said.   

To qualify for the register, there are three main qualities that buildings in a district must have. Buildings must be at least 50 years of age, which by next year will mean anything built in 1972. The buildings must also have historic significance and maintain a certain level of their historic integrity. 

“That is not a vague term, there are like seven specific areas that are looked at,” Knight said. “Churches can only be eligible for the National Register for their architecture or if a special event occurred there that’s not related to religion.” 

The person that nominates that district must meet the National Parks Services professional qualifications. After the nomination is completed, it must be approved at the state level.

“They do not consider incomplete nominations. So, the nomination has to be in the office, it has to be complete,” Knight said.

Knight spoke of the lengthy process and that the earliest a nomination could go before the state board is late 2023. Knight also mentioned that public input is encouraged every step of the way during the process. 

“This is why we’re having this little meeting tonight, it’s step one, just to give you some very basic information and answer any questions you might have,” Knight said. 

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the benefits, technicalities and other concerns regarding the designation. 

Several community members and representatives attended the meeting and the co-hosts included The Calaboose African American Museum, The Dunbar Heritage Association, The Heritage Association of San Marcos, The Hays County Historical Commission, Preservation Texas, Post Oaks Preservation Solutions and Preservation Associates. 

This is just the beginning of the National Register process for the Dunbar District and there are plans to have more public meetings for the community as the process continues. 

“We are a healthy community with a vibrant ecosystem, not just naturally but thanks to all of our diverse neighborhoods and the people that live here,” Perkins said. “Dunbar is one of the crown jewels in this community’s lifetime and it’s worth preserving.”