The Kress Building was a dime store built in 1932. Brinks said that having a national store was a sign the town was growing. Blaine Hill/TheHub@TTU
By Blaine Hill
The second your tires hit the cobblestone roads in downtown Lubbock, you can feel the history of the town rattling your tires. But despite being over 100 years old, Lubbock citizens do not always think of their town having a deep history.
“Because Lubbock wasn’t incorporated until 1909, people in Lubbock don’t think of themselves as having things they should save,” Pam Brink, Lubbock Heritage Society president, said.
The heritage society’s goal is to save historical buildings and culture in Lubbock, Brink said.
Brink said when the town was first established in 1909, it looked like Dodge City with an urban feel. There were old playa lakes filled with mud, but there were also cars and telephone poles.
The Santa Fe Railroad helped Lubbock start out, but when Texas Technological College was established in 1923, the town experienced more growth.
In 1928, George W. Butler built an American Foursquare style home, which served as the first fraternity house at Texas Tech. Later, that fraternity was chartered as Kappa Sigma.
The College Club. Blaine Hill/TheHub@TTU
After changing owners a few times, four members of Sigma Phi Epsilon now live in what is called the College Club.
“Me and my pledge brothers are definitely keeping the original Kappa Sigma club house type of living to it,” Mason Salinas, a resident of the historical home, said.
When they moved in, Salinas said their landlord asked them if it would be okay if he left all of the historical items in the house. So, they moved into a fully furnished historical home.
The house and all of its historical value is still in great condition. All of the floors are original, most of the original doors and fixtures are still intact and there is a treasure trove of antique items in the back house left untouched.
One room of the house holds almost every edition of La Ventana from the original owners, with signatures and notes from friends.
To become a historical landmark, there are quite a few hoops to jump through, Brink said. To be labeled a historical building, an owner has to have a rigorously detailed analysis of the structure and its historical importance, whether the significance is architectural or structural.
There are three different levels of historical landmarks. The national registry, which has the most value but no legal restrictions, the state registry, and the local registry. Just because a building is a historical landmark, does not mean it cannot be torn down.
“There aren’t a lot of safeguards to tearing down buildings if it’s your private property,” Brink said. “People just like to think, “This is mine. I bought it and I can do what I want with it.’”
Brink said the designations do put psychological pressure on people to protect buildings.
The mindset of Lubbock towards its history is starting to change. Brink said when Reagor-Dykes Auto Group bought and remodeled the Myrick-Green Building, many people realized historical buildings are not just there for sentimental value.
Brink said it is an exciting time for the Lubbock Heritage Society because of newfound sensibility to recognize Lubbock’s history.
About Blaine Hill
