Circa 1960 painting of the 1848 W. G. King Log House in Seguin. Personal Collection.
Preservation Texas Historic Log Building Summit 2024
October 10th & 11th in Nacogdoches
The 2024 Preservation Texas Historic Log Building Summit will take place on Thursday, October 10th & Friday, October 11th in Nacogdoches. The Summit will kick off with an opening reception and keynote address on Thursday evening at the Fredonia Hotel. On Friday, attendees will hear presentations from a range of professionals on topics involving the stewardship of log buildings. Early bird discounted registration is $100 for Preservation Texas members and $125 for non-members through September 12th. In addition, a pre-Summit Field Seminar will be offered on Thursday, October 10th which will give participants an opportunity to visit several log structures in the Nacogdoches area.
Summit Program
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10th
Fredonia Hotel
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Join fellow Preservation Texas members and Summit attendees for food, drink, and networking. Beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
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Michael R. Moore, Moore Consulting & Contracting, Inc.
Stephen F. Austin’s colonial village, San Felipe de Austin was erased from the landscape by fire in the 1836 “Runaway Scrape.” After decades of obscurity, the Texas Historical Commission opened a new Visitor Center at the site in 2018, and three years later added a nearby outdoor exhibit of newly-built log and frame structures - the Villa de Austin. Michael Moore researched, envisioned and constructed this interpretation of one block of the 1830s town under contract with the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission. In this keynote address, Michael will illustrate the blending of evidence from the past with the skills of traditional craftspeople to build and furnish an immersive place for visitors to explore stories of Texas in the 1830s.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11th
Fredonia Hotel
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The venue will be open for attendees to check in, visit exhibit tables, and network with peers. Coffee and breakfast pastries will be provided. Books about log buildings, preservation, and regional architecture will be available for sale.
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Conor Herterich, Northeast Texas Program Officer, Preservation Texas
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Evan Thompson, Executive Director of Preservation Texas
This session will provide important context to the Summit by highlighting significant events and themes in the construction and interpretation of historic log buildings in Texas.
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JuanRaymon Rubio, Associate, Architexas
Alexis McKinney, Principal, ArchitexasHistoric log structures can be difficult to carefully document and restore. This session will review how classic documentation methods along with new scanning technologies are applied to restoration projects. Additionally, two case studies will reflect lessons learned in reconstructing collapsed log structures.
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Peggy Riddle, Director, Denton County Office and History & Culture
Over the last 10 years, Denton County has overseen the restoration and interpretation of two log homes that date from c. 1865. Though both started out as single pen (room) cabins, they bore no resemblance to one another 150 years later. Research into these buildings uncovered the lives and experiences of the people who inhabited them, providing ample opportunities for interpretation. This session will explore the evolution of the two log buildings as case studies comparing how they were adapted over time to meet the changing needs of their inhabitants.
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Rick Collins, Master Carpenter & Heavy Timber Specialist, Firmitas LLC
Over a period of three years, Rick Collins worked with the Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma to rebuild two log buildings on tribal land that dated to the tribe’s arrival in Oklahoma. This presentation will address the unique construction and joinery methods used to construct the buildings and explore the heritage of Potawatomi log buildings, which have traditionally been associated with Euro-American culture.
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Boxed lunches will be provided. Programming is not scheduled during lunch to give attendees an opportunity to network with one another.
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Frank Briscoe, Principal, Briscoe Architectural Conservation
This presentation will cover several methods of investigation that can be used to determine an appropriate period of interpretation when restoring historic log buildings, including dendrochronology (tree rings), LiDAR documentation, and analysis of nail and saw technology. A log barn restoration case study will highlight the different tools and methods used to lift, relocate, and realign, and repair logs.
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Rena Lawrence, Site Supervisor, Log Cabin Village (City of Fort Worth)
Shae Nawoj, Assistant Site Supervisor, Log Cabin Village (City of Fort Worth)Log Cabin Village is a living history museum owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth. The Village is dedicated to the preservation of 19th c. folk architecture and frontier lifeways. In this session, Rena and Shae will discuss the 20th century emergence of historic villages, sorting myth and memory from fact when presenting the past, and share innovative ways to connect current visitors to ancestral knowledge.
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Susan & Josiah Daniel, Historians and Historic Log Homeowners
The Daniels were thrust into the world of preservation when they acquired an 1856 log house slated for demolition that was built by Josiah’s ancestors, Martha and Josiah Goodson Daniel. The multi-year project was well received and was featured by the Wall Street Journal and Southern Living Magazine. In this session, the Daniels will break down the process of relocating and restoring the historic log building, including the decision to move it, making key design choices during the planning stage, and reconstructing and furnishing the home.
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Conor Herterich, Northeast Texas Program Officer, Preservation Texas
Early bird discounted Summit registration is $100 for Preservation Texas members and $125 for non-members through September 12th.
The “Villa de Austin” at San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site. Photo by Forney Construction.
Texan "Dog Run" Log Cabin in Llano County. DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.
The Pickard Cabin at Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.
Optional Pre-Summit Field Seminar
SOLD OUT! Thursday, October 10th | 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Participants will begin the day with a visit to Mission Tejas State Park in Weches, where preservation professionals and historians will lead tours and discussions of the historic Rice Log House (1828) with a focus on its architecture and construction. A boxed lunch will be provided, during which members of the Cherokee County Historical Commission will share the history of the privately-owned Forest Hill Plantation.
In the afternoon, participants will have an exclusive opportunity to explore the unrestored 1847 log house at Forest Hill near Alto which was included on the 2024 Most Endangered Places List. Participants will engage in discussions about the building’s architecture, condition, and restoration needs.
Registration is $50 per person in addition to the Summit registration fee and is limited to 25 participants. Participants will travel in their own vehicles. Mission Tejas is 40 miles from the Fredonia Hotel, and Forest Hill Plantation is 30 miles from the Fredonia Hotel.
Registration & Hotel Information
To register for the Summit, click the link below. Member pricing is for Preservation Texas members only. If you are not a member, we’d love to have you join! If you are unsure of your current membership status, please email hunick@preservationtexas.org.
The registration link will also give you the option to register for the Pre-Summit Field Seminar (while tickets remain), and/ or order a Summit t-shirt to be picked up at the event.
The Summit will be held at the iconic Fredonia Hotel (200 North Fredonia Street, Nacogdoches). Built in 1955, the mid-century modern-style building was recently rehabilitated and reopened as a boutique hotel in 2017. The project received a Preservation Texas Honor Award in 2019.
ROOM BLOCK
A block of rooms has been set aside for Summit attendees the night of October 10th at a discounted rate of $159 + tax. To make a reservation, call the Fredonia Hotel at 936-564-1234 and provide the group name “Preservation Texas.” Blocked rooms are limited. First come first served!
Order a Summit t-shirt to remember the event!
The Fredonia Hotel. Photo by the Fredonia Hotel.
Summit Sponsorship Opportunities
Your support as a sponsor will make it possible for Preservation Texas to deliver this much needed educational program, while demonstrating your commitment to protecting our state’s unique cultural heritage. We would be honored to include you as a partner!
To become a sponsor, please fill out the sponsorship agreement form linked below and mail it to us along with your payment. Sponsorship payment must be received by August 30, 2024.
SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS (all levels > $500)
Sponsor logo inclusion in the event program distributed at the event
Sponsor logo inclusion on the Summit webpage on Preservation Texas’s website
Exposure on Preservation Texas’s e-newsletter mailing list of over 5,000 Texans
Opportunity to include a sponsor-provided giveaway to attendees
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
Top Notch: $10,000
Four complimentary Summit registrations
Recognition in press releases about the event
Opportunity to have two 6-foot exhibitor tables set up for the duration of the event
Opportunity to make an announcement at the opening reception on Thursday evening
Dovetail Notch: $5,000
Two complimentary Summit registrations
Recognition in press releases about the event
Opportunity to have two 6-foot exhibitor tables set up for the duration of the event
V-Notch: $2,500
Two complimentary Summit registrations
Opportunity to have one 6-foot exhibitor table set up for the duration of the event
Square Notch: $1,000
One complimentary Summit registration
Opportunity to have one 6-foot exhibitor table set up for the duration of the event
Saddle Notch: $500
One complimentary Summit registration
Non-Profit/ Local Government Exhibitor: $100 (Preservation Texas members only)
½ of a 6-foot exhibitor table set up for the duration of the event
