Survey will explore neighborhoods and cultural history in northern area of Tyler

For generations, the neighborhoods north of Downtown Tyler have carried the stories of early families, post-war growth and the deep cultural heritage of the Texas College community. Many of these areas, shaped throughout the 1920s to 1960s, have never been formally documented, but that's soon to change.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Tyler City Council voted to accept a $37,500 Texas Historical Commission (THC) Certified Local Government reimbursement grant to launch a new Historic Resources Survey, which will help preserve these stories for future generations. The grant requires a 50/50 City match for a total project cost of $75,000.

The Historic Resources Survey directly supports the 2017 Historic Preservation Strategic Plan, which calls for continued documentation of Tyler's heritage to guide future preservation efforts. Downtown and Tyler's earliest neighborhoods are already largely documented. Now, the priority is expanding survey work into historically significant areas that have not yet been formally studied.

The survey will focus on neighborhoods located between Wolford Avenue and North Broadway Avenue, including Woodhaven, Northridge and College Lane.

Area characteristics include:

• Residential architecture spanning the 1920s through the 1960s

• Significant African-American community heritage

• Little to no prior formal survey documentation

• Potential eligibility for individual National Register or local landmark designation

These neighborhoods represent post-World War II development patterns, early-to-mid-20th-century resources at or above the 50-year eligibility threshold and culturally significant areas identified in the 2017 Historic Preservation Strategic Plan.

The findings from the survey will help City staff and community partners make informed decisions about preservation, revitalization and long-term neighborhood planning.