UPDATE – 7.11.16
If you’d like to show support for the preservation and restoration of the Collinwood House, sign the GoPetition.
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Plano’s Collinwood House has been listed as one of the 2016 Most Endangered Places, according to Preservation Texas, an advocacy group that is encouraging Texans to rally around the restoration of Plano’s oldest historic building. The City of Plano owns the property and is planning to demolish the house to use the land for Windhaven Meadows Park.
“While we recognize that communities face challenges in maintaining public parks and recreational facilities, we do not agree that the opportunity to restore and celebrate this remarkable survivor is incompatible with development of a healthy, thriving public park,” said Preservation Texas Executive Director Evan Thompson. “A strong commitment to Plano’s future should not be predicated on the destruction of its irreplaceable cultural heritage.”
Built about 1861, the house is thought to have been constructed by Julian K. Fox and his brother Charles. It was sold in 1862 to Clinton S. Haggard whose descendants retained ownership until 1936. The two-story house is an example of an I-house, a simple rectangular architectural form one-room deep with each room connected to a central hall. Wide longleaf pine floors remain, as well as the original staircase. Over time, early interior finishes have been obscured by newer materials or removed, however, enough historic fabric remains to be able to restore the house to an early appearance. When originally constructed, the timber frame was covered with horizontal wood siding which was later covered by the current wood-shake siding. The one-story front porch is a later addition.
Check out the Collinwood Consortium: Friends of Plano’s Historic Collinwood House community organization Facebook page for more information, and learn how to help.
About Preservation Texas
Preservation Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit historic preservation education and advocacy organization based in Austin. Founded in 1985, Preservation Texas has announced a list of endangered historic places each year since 2004. The organization is funded by the support of its members and donors, and receives no government funding of any kind and is not affiliated with any state or local governmental entity. For more information, call 512.472.0102 or visit PreservationTexas.org.
