Survey seeks support for Reagor building before possible demolition
The Reagor Building at 300 N. Water St. in Burnet before it was damaged by a December 2022 fire. Photo courtesy of Rhonda 'Chondie' Martin
Ken Reagor and fiancée Rhonda “Chondie” Martin are promoting an online survey in support of saving the fire-damaged Reagor building at 300 N. Water St. in Burnet. The couple is expected to make a presentation during a Burnet City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, to ask councilors to reverse an earlier decision to tear down the structure.
“By saying ‘yes’ to saving the Reagor building from demolition, you are giving us a chance to work with historical architects and to apply for grants, to raise funds, and, ultimately, apply to the Texas Historical Commission,” Martin said.
The Reagor building was damaged by a fire on Dec. 5, 2022. The City Council voted on June 27 and again on Oct. 24, 2023, to demolish the structure. Reagor filed a motion for an injunction in District Court on Dec. 1 to stop the city after a final date to tear down the building was set for Dec. 4.
At a Dec. 4 hearing before 424th District Court Judge Evan Stubbs, Reagor and Martin agreed to come before the council on Jan. 9 to make a final pitch to save the building. Reagor said he would abide by whatever the council decides.
Along with the survey’s results, Martin plans to present to the council as much of the history of the unique granite building as she has been able to find. She relayed some of that history on the survey’s webpage.
The granite structure was designed by a local builder, according to Martin, who later sold copies of the blueprints. It was built using “waste stone” from Granite Mountain in Marble Falls. The quarry would lay out piles of broken bits of pink granite by the roadway for anyone to use. Several homes in Marble Falls, Burnet, and Bertram were built with the free, scrabble granite.
Built originally as a home, the house was later converted into an art gallery owned and operated by two women. In 1976, Verlon Reagor Sr. purchased the property as a family home and began to run his heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical business out of an addition in the back. Ken Reagor is the only surviving son and has continued to operate the business but was not living in the building at the time of the fire.
An article from August 1960 published in an unidentified Austin newspaper states the house was built in 1936 by A.L. Warren, who moved to Bertram from East Texas in 1921. He was the Willys-Overland automobile distributor for the area and later became a Chevrolet and Oldsmobile dealer. His son was operating the dealership when the article was published. Warren is believed to have drawn up the design for the house himself.
The original home, according to the article by R.B. Hess, had six rooms, with two rooms and a bath on the second floor. The Carswell Brothers rock masons built the structure.
2 thoughts on “Survey seeks support for Reagor building before possible demolition”
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Far too many inflated egos get elected to public office, and the people get un-asked-for “urban renewal,” imminent domain, property-rights violations, and crony contracts pushed down our throats. Citizens, we are not the subjects of elected “leaders.” They are public Servants. Push back, push hard, and push now.
How can the city council vote to demolish a building not owned by the city? This would be a “taking” under law and the owner would have to be compensated. Even if they “could”, why would they? Someone here has un ulterior motive methinks. I can point out many other structures in MF that they should seek demolishing before this one where the owners are planning on restoring or rebuilding it.