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Founded in 1802, West Point is the nation’s oldest engineering school. The West Point Association of Graduates was founded in 1869. West Point Societies exist to further the ideals of the Military Academy, to perform community outreach, and to assist with Academy admissions.

In 2010, the West Point Society of Central Texas adopted Covert Park at Mount Bonnell and began improvement projects under the Austin Parks and Recreation Department Adopt-A-Park program. There are over 600 West Point graduates in the Austin area.Contacts: Stan BaconWPSCT , Class of 1958 sbacon58@sbcglobal.net512-345-5964

Fred BothwellWPSCT, Class of 1962frebo3@yahoo.com512-635-443312/3/2011

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MOUNT BONNELL• “The Best View in Austin”• One of the most popular parks in the city:• 775 feet above sea level.

COVERT PARK• 5.36 acre City park at summit of Mount Bonnell• Donated to Travis County for use as a public park in

1938-39 by Covert family of Austin• Deeded in memory of Frank M. Covert, Sr., byClarence Covert and F. M. Covert, Jr• Marker erected in 1938• Deeded to city of Austin in 1972• Adopted by West Point Society of Central Texas in

2010

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BACKGROUND2010-2011

1. WEST POINT SOCIETY OF CENTRAL TEXAS ADOPTS MOUNT BONNELL IN 2010 (PARD Adopt-A Park Program)

Formed Friends of Mt BonnellFundraising $3K+APF Grants $1.5KView RestorationSupervised cleanups Manned Oyster RacesDeveloped proposal to repair and enhance park facilities – kiosk,

marker, dais, benches 2. JANUARY 2011 WPSCT SUBMITS PARK IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL FOR PARD

REVIEWRemove broken limestone Covert markerReplace with permanent granite replica markerAdd benches and paving around markerProject cost: $100,000+, to be paid by donations and in-kind support

Covert Family $20K+Friends of Mount Bonnell $TBDAustin Parks Foundation/Austin City Limits $50KIn Kind Support: O’Connell Robertson. KC Construction $40K

3. OCTOBER 2011 PARD RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR REVIEWProposal requires approval of City Historical Landmark CommissionCity Historian opposes replacement of markerPARD can not approve without concurrence of Historic Commission

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CURRENT SITUATIONDECEMBER 2011

1. NOVEMBER 2011 - WPSCT MEETS WITH PARD STAFF TO DISCUSS PROPOSALMt Bonnell is a NATURE PRESERVEManaged jointly by PARD and Balcones Canyonlands PreserveOnly current plan for Mt Bonnell/Covert park is conservation of flora & faunaPARD has no long range plan for Mt Bonnell/Covert ParkPARD is unlikely to agree to enhancement of facilitiesNo action can be taken until a long range plan is developedNo action can be taken unless Historical Commission grants Certificate of

Appropriateness, after review by COA Committee 2. NOVEMBER 2011 WPSCT REVIEWS PROPOSAL WITH COA COMMITTEE

COA FINDINGS:Improvement of the park is inconsistent with the way the park appeared in 1938 Removal, restoration, and display of original marker off site is inappropriate

Replacement of original marker with permanent granite marker is inappropriateAdding amenities around marker is inappropriateThe original marker should be repaired and remain on site

3. NOVEMBER 2011 WPSCT DISCOVERS POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTERESTCOA Committee is chaired by Laurie Limbacher, owner of an architecture firmThe Historical Commission is also chaired by Ms. LimbacherLIMBACHER & GODFREYdoes historic restoration, preservation, and planning for the cityThe WPSCT proposal was developed by O’Connell Robertson, Architectural, Engineering

and Design firm, winners of the Texas State 9/11 Monument competition.

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ISSUES

1. HISTORICAL: MOUNT BONNELL - A RECREATIONAL PARK FOR NEARLY 150 YEARS

According to Libby Custer’s biography, Mt Bonnell was used for hiking, riding, picnicking, social gatherings and band concerts as early as 1865

Today, Austinites still enjoy Covert Park/Mt Bonnell as a site for diverse activities:

physical fitness trainingaerobic exerciseportrait photographyfashion shootswedding ceremoniesengagement photospicnicsromantic rendezvousurban adventure racingsunset wine tastingssightseeingentertaining visitors

2. MOUNT BONNELL HAS BEEN A NUTURE PRESERVE FOR LESS THAN 20 YEARS

The BCP and PARD are concerned with the preservation of the flora and fauna on Mt Bonnell

The Covert family gave the park to the people of Travis County for their enjoyment

The bracted twistflower is now reproducing abundantly in other locations12/3/2011

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THE PARD/BCP PLAN FOR THE PARK IS TO “PROTECT” BIRDS AND FLOWERS

“FROM HUMAN IMPACT”

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ENDANGERED?From 42 seeds to 72,251…

IN A BEE CAVE BATHROOM!

The Bracted twistflower

November 29, 2011

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CITY OF AUSTIN CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS DISCUSSION

Name of historic property: Covert Park at Mount Bonnell

Address of historic property: 3800 Mount Bonnell Road; Austin, TX

Brief description of proposed work: 0. Remove, restore and display 1938 marker in City Museum (PARD)

1. Install Replica of 1938 marker on site2. Install new landscaping and amenities around marker

APPLICANT: West Point Society of Central Texas, representing Covert Family of Austin, Austin Parks Foundation (ACL Grant Committee), and Friends of Mount Bonnell

OWNER: City of Austin

ARCHITECT : O’Connell Robertson, Austin

CONTRACTOR: KC Construction, Georgetown

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“In our daily rides we found the country about Austin delightful…Indeed, there was one high hill, called Mount Brunnel, where we had picnics and enjoyed the fine view, far and near, taking one of the bands of the regular regiments from the North that joined us soon after our arrival…The band played the “Anvil Chorus,” and the sound descended through the valley grandly. The river, filled with sand-bars and ugly on close examination, looked like a silver ribbon. At that height, the ripened cotton, at certain seasons of the year, looked like fields of foam. The thermometer was over eighty before we left the lowlands; but at the altitude to which we climbed the air was cool.” Elizabeth B. Custer, Tenting on the Plains (1887)

In 1865-66 the crest of Mount Bonnell was a site for recreational social gatherings , picnics, and concerts

~70 years later, 1936-38 the Covert family gave the site to the people for use as a public park. A limestone marker was installed to commemorate the gift

~70 years later, the limestone marker has disintegrated and the park has become a “nature preserve,” no longer planned for use as a recreational site

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WEST POINT SOCIETY OF CENTRAL TEXAS“ADOPTED” COVERT PARK IN 2010

MOUNT BONNELL/COVERT PARK PROJECTS 2010-2011

• PARD Adopt-a-Park Agreement signed.• Supported Austin Oyster Urban Adventure Race.• Service Austin Days Fall Clean-up, 33 volunteers and 2 firefighters.• Used $1500 APF grant to restore views with PARD and community support

• Raised funds for base of new kiosk in Covert Park• My Parks Day, APF, 23 volunteers.• Clean Sweep, KAB, 31 volunteers.• Supported Austin Oyster Urban Adventure Race.• Received KAB grant of $850 to apply to Kiosk Base payment.• Planned Clean-up w/Central Texas Mountaineers.• Service Austin Days Fall Clean-up.

MOUNT BONNELL WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY WEST POINT SOCIETYhttp://www.west-point.org/joseph_bonnell/mount_bonnell

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PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL MEETINGOBJECTIVES

REVIEW current proposal of the Friends of Mount Bonnell and the West Point Society of Central Texas for $100,000+ gift to the city of Austin in support of restoration and improvement of Covert Park at Mount Bonnell.

DISCUSS How WPSCT can improve likelihood of being awarded Certificates of Appropriateness for proposed Covert Park projects:

• Installation of replica Covert Marker, funded by Covert family• Landscaping and other amenities

THE PROPOSED GIFT: $116,630 ($73,370 cash plus $43,260 in-kind support)

The West Point Society, in cooperation with the Covert family, APF, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, O’Connell Robertson of Austin, KC Construction of Georgetown, and other Friends of Mount Bonnell, proposes to give to the citizens of Austin gifts with a value in excess of $100,000, comprised as follows: 

• ~$20,000 donated by the Covert Family plus additional funding from Friends of Mount Bonnell and the West Point Society of Central Texas

• $44,000+ in professional services and labor donated by O’Connell Robinson, KC Construction, and others

• $50,000 in matching funds granted by Austin City Limits and the Austin Parks Foundation• Other in-kind support provided by PARD

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THE PROPOSED PROJECT

PART ONE – COVERT MARKER: $28,000 plus in-kind support• Removal of the existing 1938 marker to a site where it can be restored, protected from the

elements, and preserved indefinitely (at PARD expense)• Erection of a granite replica of the original 1938 marker, donated by the Covert family,

commemorating and rededicating the previous Covert family gift of the park and the 1938 marker.

PART TWO - DAIS: $38,700 plus in kind support:• Landscaping and additional amenities around the marker, final design in cooperation with

PARD.• APF has informally announced the award of an ACL grant in the amount of $32,745 for the

sole purpose of implementing PART TWO of the plan, pending resolution of the marker status.

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1938 2010

Marker is no longer

vertical

2008 2010

Marker is disintegrating

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COVERT PARK MARKER CONDITION:1938-2011

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FACTS:• The public, as reflected in the views of the neighborhood associations, the Friends

of Mount Bonnell, and the grant committees of the Austin Parks Foundation and Austin City Limits support the WPSCT proposal.

• The original 1938 limestone marker commemorating the Covert family gift of the park to Travis County has deteriorated, a possible matter of “Demolition by Neglect” Ch 25-11-211(6)

• It is in the interest of history that the original marker be restored, preserved, and protected from future damage.

• The Covert family has agreed to fund the installation of a durable replica of the original Covert marker so that the original may be restored, preserved and protected from future damage.

Installation of a replica would allow the original marker to be removed, repaired, restored, and displayed in a suitable, protected environment in a city museum or public building, as in the case of many other historic artifacts: the Rosetta Stone, The Stone of Scone, the Elgin Marbles, etc.

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Over 70 years ago, the Covert family of Austin, then owners ofthe tract of land on which Mount Bonnell stands, gave thesummit of the mountain to the people of Travis County for useby residents and visitors. Known as Covert Park at MountBonnell, the site was dedicated in memory of the family patriarch,Frank M. Covert, Senior.

Now in their sixth generation in Central Texas, the Covert family continues in their civic-mindedtradition, playing an important role in support for local charitableorganizations and the restoration of the pre-Civil WarCarrington/Covert House in Austin, now headquarters for theTexas Historical Commission.

The Covert family would like to see the 1938 marker protected from further deterioration, to be replaced on site with a more durable granite replica of the original marker, funded by the Coverts.

Restored by Covert family, now occupied By Texas Historical Commission

Carrington-Covert House (1857)

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Objects with historic significance may be placed in protective enclosures….

PLYMOUTH ROCK (1620)MASSACHUSETTS, USA SUENO’S STONE (800-900 AD)

FORRES, SCOTLANDSueno's Stone stands about 21 feet high. It is the largest surviving Pictish stone of its

type in Scotland. In the early 1990s the stone was encased in armored glass to

prevent erosion.

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THE ROSETTA STONE (196 B.C)British Museum, UK

STELE OF NARAM-SIN (2450 B.C.)Mesopotamia

On display in The Louvre, Paris

ELGIN MARBLES5TH CENTURY B.C.

Removed from Parthenon 1801-1812. Put on display in the British Museum, planned for return to Acropolis Museum in Athens

....or displayed in museums

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The original historic artifact may be placed in a protected location….

THE STONE OF SCONE (1249 A.D.?)Original Stone in Westminster Abby

REPLICA STONE OF SCONEat original site at

Moot Hill, Scotland

REPLICA ROSETTA STONE at original site at

Rosetta (el-Rashid) Egypt

….AND A REPLICA INSTALLED AT THE ORIGINAL SITE12/3/2011

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CONSIDERATIONS:• If allowed, Covert family gift can set an example to encourage other

sources of private funding for city improvement projects, e.g., Waller Creek development.

• If disallowed, it may prevent any proposed enhancements, due to APF/ACL matching grant requirements.

• If installed in an unprotected outdoor location, can future deterioration of the 1938 marker be prevented? For how long?

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How can WPSCT improve likelihood of being awardedCertificates of Appropriateness for proposed Covert Park projects?

• PARD removal and restoration of original Covert Marker, to be displayed in City Museum

• Installation of replica Covert Marker• Landscaping and other amenities

DISCUSSION

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BACKUP CHARTS

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MEXICA EXHIBIT ROOM

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MUSEO NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA, Mexico City

Reproduction of the Tikal Stela (250 – 650 A.D.)

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• Established in 1950: Award-winning Austin-based, architectural/engineering/interior design firm

• . Specializes in education, healthcare, and sports facility design• Known for developing innovative design solutions• Won statewide competition for design of Texas 9/11 Memorial

Covert Park Planning Support 2010-2011• Estimated value of pro bono support to date: ~$10,000• OCR design staff site visits to Mount Bonnell• Joint design conferences and site study• Preliminary design concept and presentations• Plan reviews with Covert family, PARD, WPSCT, FOMB• Plan amendments and cost estimates, bids, renderings, continuing,

ongoing support

ARCHITECTURAL PLANS AND PROJECT SUPPORT: O’CONNELL ROBERTSON:

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REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

• The Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, North End Zone Expansion

• Texas State University Baseball/Softball Complex Enhancements

• New University of Texas Softball Training Facility

• New Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Residence Hall

• New Texas A&M University McFerrin Indoor Athletic Center A/E

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ARCHITECTURAL PLANS AND PROJECT SUPPORT: O’CONNELL ROBERTSON:

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http://www.oconnellrobertson.com/

TEXAS STATE CEMETERY 9/11 MEMORIAL, AUSTIN

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• The Texas State Cemetery 9/11 monument is dedicated to all Texans who died during the September 11 terrorist attacks

• Commissioned in 2002, numerous designs were submitted from artists, architects and private citizens from around the state.

• The final design by O’Connell, Robertson and Associates of Austin was chosen by the Governor’s Office and the Texas State Cemetery Committee.

ARCHITECTURAL PLANS AND PROJECT SUPPORT: O’CONNELL ROBERTSON:

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PAST PROJECTS(New Construction/Site Remediation)Williamson County ParksUT Wetlands Education Center and ParkMarine Science Institute, Port AransasTravis County East Metro ParkCommunication Tower SitesWater Treatment Plant Physical Security ImprovementsParking Lot ImprovementsWater Treatment Plant ConstructionDrainage Channel ConstructionDetention Pond ConstructionDrainage Culvert ConstructionWater Meter Vault

RECENT CUSTOMERSTexas Department of Public Safety (DPS)Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD)City of AustinAustin EnergyTravis CountyWilliamson CountyCity of GeorgetownCity of Cedar ParkCity of Taylor, TXCity of Rogers, TX Housing AuthorityWilliamson County MUD #10Newland Communities of Texas (TeraVista)Woodlawn Condominiums Home Owners AssociationKB-CK Limited PartnershipOak Bluff Estates, Round Rock, TXForest Creek, Round Rock, TX

GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND PROJECT MANAGEMENTKC CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF GEORGETOWN

Eric Klingemann, West Point ’95, President

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PHASE ONE: REPLACE BROKEN HISTORIC MARKER

BROKEN EXISTING LIMESTONE MARKER PROPOSED GRANITE REPLICA

PHASE TWO: ENHANCE VISITOR FACILITIES: CREATE PAVED DAIS

EXISTING MARKER AREA PROPOSED DAIS AND SEATING SPACE12/3/2011

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From the Handbook of Texas Online:George Armstrong Custer, West Point graduate, Civil War general and western Indian fighter, won distinction in the Civil War as a cavalry officer. From 1865 to 1866 he was assigned to duty in Austin where, as commander of US troops, he strictly enforced regulations prohibiting foraging, lawlessness, and destruction of private property. He won the gratitude of many Texans, who found him a generous and courtly soldier.

Custer's wife, Elizabeth travelled with him after the war. Her Tenting on the Plains (1887) presents a charming picture of their stay in Texas.

The Texas Legislature was the only state legislature to send official condolences to General Custer's family following his death at the Battle of The Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876.

The Arno-Novotny House in Austin Texas, formerly the Texas Institute for the Blind, was used by Major General George Armstrong Custer as his headquarters during the start of Reconstruction in 1865-66. The structure is beautifully preserved on the University of Texas campus.