HPC Votes To Begin Designation Of Historic Landmark Process For Cape’s Dam

“Shall I say ‘Yes, I remember it.’ Or ‘Here it is, I helped save it’?” ~ Anna Mills.

By, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

The fate of Cape’s Dam is a topic that has been up for debate and question many times over the years.

On Thursday, Sept. 6, the San Marcos Historic Preservation Commission may have taken the first step on providing the answer.

Item 10 on the commission’s agenda was the discussion of the potential designation of Cape’s Dam/Thompson’s Island as a local historical landmark, and the council chamber was overflowing with members of the community, who came to show their support.

Representatives and members of several local, county and state organizations were present to show their support. Eight individuals signed up before the meeting to speak during the citizen comment period.

Dianne Wassenich, executive director of the San Marcos River Foundation, was the first person to stand at the podium. Wassenich spoke on behalf of SMRF and was the only one to speak against the potential designation and for the dam’s removal.

“We do not believe it is good for the River to leave the rubble pile [Cape’s Dam] in the river,” Wassenich said.

She went on to say that even as a landmark, the dam, or “rubble pile,” would have to be removed and that a new dam would have to be potentially built in its place.

“The River Foundation owns 31 acres next to Cape’s Dam, donated to us last December,” Wassenich said, “And full of what I consider very important artifacts that include cast iron, rock walls, and structures that are very historic, as does the mill race. Those kinds of artifacts can be found all around Rio Vista as well, which once had a dam and mill.”

Wassenich said it is important to tell the story of the site and early irrigation of the area but cited that the overall endeavor to preserve the structure would ultimately be expensive.

In the fall of 2015, the San Marcos Parks Advisory Board recommended the dam’s removal to city council, and in 2016, the San Marcos City Council voted to remove the dam.

The decision was made with the idea that U.S. Fish and Wildlife would help fund the removal of the dam.

However, Drew Wells, Assistant Director of Community Services, said his understanding was that U.S. Fish and Wildlife had been working with the city to help with the removal; however, that funding, whether it would have covered part or all of the expenses to remove the dam, was no longer available, and the city had been unable to get all of the permits required to remove the dam. 

Among the other speakers were Linda Coker, Preservation Advocacy Chair of the Heritage Association of San Marcos, Linda Jalufka, President of the Heritage Association of San Marcos, and Kate Johnson, Hays County Heritage Association Chair.

Coker said while the organization didn’t want to play into the politics of the issue, the historical significance of Cape’s Dam could not be ignored.

“Missing or ignoring that the site is eligible for listing by the national park service and on the national register of historic places does not negate the importance of the honor,” Coker said. “Even without the designation, the history of the dam and its importance to the growth of San Marcos are undeniable. San Marcos would not have been settled or flourished without the San Marcos River. The Thompson-Cape’s Dam is one of the oldest existing structures in the San Marcos area, and the oldest surviving dam on the river to date.”

Both the Heritage Association of San Marcos and Hays County Historical Commission have taken a public stance on the issue of Cape’s Dam.

In October 2017, the Hays County Historical Commission and the Heritage Association of San Marcos released their official statements regarding Cape’s Dam and voiced their support for the preservation of the structure.

Commissioners also heard from Lila Knight, former secretary of Preservation Texas, who read a letter of support from the organization on behalf of the executive director.

Fraye Stokes addressed commissioners during the citizen comment period as well to speak on behalf of preserving the dam.

Stokes said her husband donated Stokes Park to the city of San Marcos in 1992 with the verbal understanding that it would always be open to the public. In 1985, she and her husband, John Stokes, had declined to have Cape’s Dam placed on the National Register of Historic Places because they didn’t know the ramifications of doing so at the time.

However, looking back, Stokes said she regretted the decision now.

“We never thought that the preservation of the dam and mill race would someday come in question,” Stokes. “This has become a huge regret for me. Is destroying the park the correct way to thank someone for such a beautiful gift?”

According to Johnson, Cape’s Dam, originally built by William Alexander Thompson, was recognized in 1985 when the National Park Service determined it eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, “our country’s honor roll of its most important places.”

Commissioner Bob Holder voiced concerns about designating the structure as a historical landmark and the ramifications of such designation that will not be able to be undone.

If Cape’s Dam is made a historical landmark, the city would have to look at repairing, renovating or rebuilding the dam, which could prove to be expensive, he said.

While Wells said he could not speak to the exact structural integrity of the dam, he did know that it would need repair or replacement.

Commissioner Thea Dake noted that even if the structure was designated a landmark, it could still potentially be removed.

However, Commissioner Griffin Spell said that the decision to designate Cape’s Dam a local landmark would be a long process, and the commission was not making it that night.

Even if HPC commissioners approved the designation, the item would still have to go through a public hearing in Planning and Zoning and City Council.

“I’m not so much worried about the unintended consequences because we are not the only people involved in this process,” Spell said. “This is a process that starts here [in Historic Preservation Commission], goes to planning and zoning and then goes to council. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel here.”

Commissioners passed a motion to initiate a petition for designation by a 4-2 vote with Commissioners Holder and Alex Arlinghaus voting no. Commissioner Diana Baker was absent.

According to staff, the designation process will take several months, and according to their preliminary timeline, would not reach city council before December.

The item is expected to return for a public hearing and a report from staff on the historical significance of the structure on October 4 in the Historic Preservation Commission. Afterward, commissioners will vote to make a recommendation in favor of or against the landmark designation.

City Council will be the final decision maker on whether Cape’s Dam will be designated a local landmark or not.