The City of Melissa owns 3 important historic structures that are in danger of disappearing from our community very soon. 

The Scott-Barker House
Circa 1880. Bids to move or restore the house are due by June 30, 2023. Moving this house would take it out of the park, out of it's historic context, and away from public use.
A unique late 1800's Victorian Farmhouse with a Texas Historical Marker and Recorded Historic Landmark Status (Marker #13770.) This home is a beloved cultural asset to Melissa.

 

 

2. The Melissa State Bank Building
The Melissa State Bank Building, or the "Wysong Building", in downtown Melissa was built in 1907. Located at 1703 Cooper Street.
This little old building has been a bank, an insurance office, (Hamp Wysong Insurance) a gathering place for meetings, trials, elections and political rallies, a filming location for a bank robbery scene, a storm shelter during the 1921 tornado. Many Melissa resident's lives were saved by this building April 13, 1921.  

 

 

3. CR Osburn Pharmacy 
Circa 1900. Cooper St right next to The Bank Building.
CR Osburn, a prominent Melissa civic leader, owned Pharmacy for 43 years from about 1900 to 1943. The building was originally built circa 1900, but was completely destroyed in the 1921 tornado. It was rebuilt in 1921 and still standing today. 

 

 

We feel that it is in the best interest of the community to let the few remaining historic buildings remain in the City of Melissa.

Some of the benefits of maintaining and restoring Melissa's historic architecture:

-Maintain small town feel, preserving our cultural identity.
-Maintain the structural integrity and historic site context of the house and grounds.
-Maintain the Texas Historical Marker and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designations.
-Unique cultural asset to Melissa for the use and enjoyment of the community.
-Location: downtown, visible on Hwy 5, cornerstone of the park
-Near churches, businesses, and other walkable sites
-Increase Livability Ratings and Walkability Ratings for City of Melissa 
-The people of Melissa, people in general, and small businesses love historic homes and historic buildings: charming, patriotic, unique, warm, inviting, reassuring sense of permanency and heritage. 
 -Good investment for Melissa: Other Collin County cities and others in the DFW area are spending substantial money to bring in old homes and buildings. 
-2015 study by University of Texas found for every dollar spent on Historic Preservation: 700% return on investment
-(1999 same study, found 500% return on investment)
-2015 City of Dallas study found for every dollar spent on Historic Preservation: 900% return on investment.

In the City of Melissa's Comprehensive Plan, Old Downtown Melissa is, "according to the community survey, citizens of Melissa want to preserve this historic area of the city." 

Why is now the time to act?

The City of Melissa is currently in a period of rapid growth and development. While we want to embrace Melissa's inevitable growth and change, we do not want to see our history erased in the process. If we don't act now, it will be too late. We will never have the chance to get these historic buildings back once they are gone.