Preservation architect Marcel Quimby called me up last week and said, “How would you like to go to Grapevine at 8:30 in the morning and hear a presentation on Nash Farm, a historic farmhouse I worked on years ago?” I am not an early riser. Grapevine is what I consider a hike. However, I have found over the years that whatever Marcel has been involved in is always deeply interesting to an ardent historic preservationist like me. So off we went, and boy, am I glad I did.
Grapevine is the best example I have seen of how to honor your heritage and do preservation right. There is no finer illustration of this than Nash Farm. When I rounded the corner from parking my car and saw it for the first time, I was not just impressed — I was awestruck. Then the sadness hit because Dallas seldom gets preservation right and certainly does not have leadership that gives a flip about it. You see, it’s not just the folks who live and breathe preservation that have protected Grapevine’s historic assets; it’s also their leadership. In fact, leadership has been integral in preserving the city’s built history.
Historic Preservation Officer David Klempin and local historian Sallie Andrews explained to us how a sleepy farming community evolved into a significant economic engine for North Texas and how preservation plays an essential part in continued growth.
It starts with Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In 1962, the FAA announced it would no longer fund individual airports for each city. Local leaders were instructed to come up with a plan that consolidated operations into a single location. The logical choice was midway between the flagship cities, with Grapevine providing approximately half of the acreage necessary for the new airport. That means Grapevine receives the majority of local sales taxes from stores and restaurants at DFW Airport. They split the collection of property taxes on commercial land along with Euless, Coppell, and Irving.
Add to this rosy picture the fact that, like all cities, Grapevine collects hotel tax. When DFW Airport opened in 1974, there was one on-site hotel. The following decade saw a handful of hotels open to serve the airport, but it was not until Paul W. McCallum became head of the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1987 that things really began to change. Along with the help of visionary Mayor William D. Tate, Grapevine landed the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, the second-largest convention center hotel outside of Las Vegas. Mayor Tate told the press, “It has been a game-changer for us.”…