Monthly Archives: May 2012

Sense of Place, Part 1

The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines sense of place as: Those things that add up to a feeling that a community is a special place, distinct from anywhere else. We don’t know of any “thing” that contributes more to a sense of place than the people who live there and the stories they share. In 2009, when Cynthia Beeman, then-board member of the Texas Oral History Association, presented us with the Mary Faye Barnes … Read more

Posted in Community, People, Places | Comments Off on Sense of Place, Part 1

Stopping by Crestview Shopping Center

For more than 60 years, the Crestview Shopping Center has been part of our community. A. B. Beddow and Ray Yates, developers of the Crestview neighborhood, built it in 1952. This week, we share a few stories about the center and some of the special people who have worked there and keep it thriving. We’ve also added links to the businesses that have websites and to related stories on our website. (Many also have tiles … Read more

Posted in Community, People, Places, Wall of Welcome Stories | Comments Off on Stopping by Crestview Shopping Center

Remembering J. D. Harper of Crestview Pharmacy

J. D. Harper, 77, owner of Crestview Pharmacy since 1964, passed away May 11, 2012. His sons Jerry and David continued managing this original Crestview Shopping Center business, which opened in the early 1950s, until February 28, 2017. In April 2004, historian and Brentwood neighbor John Leffler and I talked with Mr. Harper in one of the booths at the pharmacy (once part of a popular soda fountain there). In the interview, Mr. Harper shares … Read more

Posted in Community, People, Places, Wall of Welcome Stories | Comments Off on Remembering J. D. Harper of Crestview Pharmacy

Common Ground of Community

In early 2003, when a small group of us neighbors (soon to become the nonprofit Violet Crown Community Works) envisioned the very first Violet Crown Festival, the heart of the event was clear: See that Jean Graham’s mosaic Wall of Welcome becomes a reality. Celebrate the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods, which we see as sharing many common concerns and goals. Bring together all elements of the community—individuals of all ages, schools, neighborhood associations, community groups, … Read more

Posted in Community, Events, People, Wall of Welcome Stories