August Newsletter
AUGUST 10, 2023
PROJECT UPDATES
Preservation Texas Initiates Strategic Planning Process
The Board of Directors of Preservation Texas has engaged strategic planning consultant Dr. Candace Matelic of CTM Professional Services to facilitate a strategic planning process which will begin this month. Dr. Matelic, who is based in Fort Worth, will be working with PT board, staff, stakeholders, and members through the end of the year to help develop a workable strategic plan, hone our programs, and develop sustainable financial models to support them as our organization grows.
Dr. James Lee Dickey House Reconstruction
St. David’s Foundation has awarded a grant of $500,000 toward the reconstruction of Dr. James Lee Dickey’s former home in Taylor (Williamson County). Included on Preservation Texas's Most Endangered Places List in 2008, the Dickey House was in its final phase of rehabilitation in July of 2022 when it was burned to the ground by an arsonist.
As the fiscal sponsor for the grant, Preservation Texas has assisted with the selection of an architect, Fred Robinson of FRDS, Inc., and the development of plans for the project. Last month, FRDS, Inc. completed programming and interior design plans for the building. Reconstruction is expected to begin in early 2024.
NORTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL OFFICE
Northeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit in Tyler September 7th
You're invited to the Northeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit on Thursday, September 7, 2023 from 9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center in Tyler.
Attendees will hear from a range of experts in preservation, history, and architecture from across the Northeast Texas region. The program will feature informative sessions on topics including protecting abandoned historic cemeteries, the benefits of the National Register for historic downtowns, grassroots preservation tips, setting the table for a successful rehabilitation project, and more! Additionally, Preservation Texas will present its 2023 Honor Awards to Northeast Texas award recipients at this event. Lunch will be provided.
Tickets for the Summit are available now and can be purchased for $40 for Preservation Texas members, $50 for non-members, $60 for first-time members, which includes a complimentary one-year individual membership, or $20 for students.
Northeast Texas Summer Interns
Two Northeast Texas interns, Jordan Coleman and Jessica Reid, were hired to work under the direction of Preservation Texas's Northeast Texas Regional Program Officer, Conor Herterich, this summer.
Graduate students in public history at Stephen F. Austin State University, Jordan and Jessica completed National Register of Historic Places nominations for two of PT's Rural African-American Heritage Grant recipients -- Bethel Baptist Church in Tennessee Colony (Anderson County) and Concord Rosenwald School near Mount Enterprise (Rusk County). Utilizing student interns allowed PT to both meet the National Park Service's grant requirements and allocate all of the available grant funding towards building stabilization and rehabilitation.
CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL OFFICE
Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit in San Marcos September 21st
Join Preservation Texas at the Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit on Thursday, September 21, 2023 from 9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. at the Dunbar Recreation Center in San Marcos.
The program will draw on the experience of a range of preservation professionals and organizations from across the Central Texas region. Session topics will include protecting long-term property owners in the face of gentrification, local funding and incentives for preservation, Central Texas Freedom Colonies, balancing preservation and growth, the merits of the Certified Local Government program, and more! Additionally, Preservation Texas will present its 2023 Honor Awards to Central Texas award recipients at this event. Breakfast tacos and a box lunch will be provided.
Tickets for the Summit are available now and can be purchased for $40 for Preservation Texas members, $50 for non-members, $60 for first-time members, which includes a complimentary one-year individual membership, or $20 for students.
SPONSORED BY: The Burdine Johnson Foundation & the Harry L. Willett Foundation
The Dunbar Recreation Center in the Dunbar Historic District of San Marcos.The district was included on Preservation Texas's Most Endangered Places List in 2021.
Central Texas Summer Interns
Two Central Texas interns, Jared Van Auken and Andrew Ward, were hired to work under the direction of Preservation Texas's Central Texas Regional Program Officer, Samantha Hunick, this summer.
Graduate students in public history at Texas State University, Jared and Andrew developed a database of information related to National Register of Historic Places and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designated properties within Blanco, Caldwell, and Hays Counties, evaluating the condition of each site and researching preservation issues related to these properties. During this internship, the students learned about the benefits and drawbacks of local, state and national historic preservation programs, and gained a broader understanding of the history of Blanco, Caldwell, and Hays Counties through researching various local historic properties.
The internships were made possible by a grant from The Burdine Johnson Foundation.
SAVE THE DATE
Southeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit in Beaumont November 16th
The 2023 Southeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit will be held on Thursday, November 16th in Beaumont. Topics will include sustainability and resiliency in historic preservation, disaster preparedness and response, and coastal cultural landscapes and resources. Further event details coming soon!
Beaumont flood, May 18, 1923, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Don Kelly Southeast Texas Collection.
STATEWIDE & NATIONAL PRESERVATION NEWS
BUDA: City Council discusses future of historic Stagecoach House
The Buda Destination Services Department relocated at the end of 2022, leaving its former home, the historic Stagecoach House, vacant. Buda City Council held a workshop June 6 to discuss the future of the 150 year old house and its potential future uses. The building has interior and exterior damage that will need to be addressed…
CHANDLER: Rosenwald School historical marker celebration
The Texas African American Museum and the Empowerment Community Development Corporation celebrated a historic event on July 29th as they unveiled the Rosenwald School historical marker...
FORT WORTH: Cantina Cadillac bar in Stockyards heavily damaged by fire
A building that houses a popular Stockyards bar caught fire over the weekend, causing severe damage to the historic structure, according to the Fort Worth Fire Department….
GOLIAD, LAREDO, NACOGDOCHES, and SAN ANTONIO: Register to attend an Interpretive Planning Stakeholder Meeting for El Camino Real de los Tejas
The National Park Service has commissioned an interpretive plan for El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. Interpretive Planning stakeholder meetings will be taking place across the trail during the week of August 21st. Interested parties are invited to contribute perspectives on how to improve the visitor experience along the trail, as well as the interpretive products and programs that tell the stories of El Camino Real across all of the associated sites…
HOUSTON: Astros owner demolishes River Oaks mansion
Designed by esteemed Houston architect John F. Staub in 1938, the mansion boasted seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and five half bathrooms, but had not been lived in regularly for the last two decades…
MOUNT ENTERPRISE: Concord Rosenwald School approved for Texas Historical Marker
The 1925 Concord Rosenwald School near Mount Enterprise, one of 11 sites to receive a grant through Preservation Texas's Rural African-American Heritage Grants program in 2022, has been notified of approval by the Texas Historical Commission for an official Texas Historical Marker.
TYLER: Historic brick streets to be repaired
One of Tyler's most well-known and loved features, the historic red-brick streets is getting a makeover. The city approved a construction project of over $800,000 to repair the brick streets…
NATIONAL: Applications Now Open for $24 Million in African American Civil Rights Grants
The National Park Service is accepting applications through October 10th for African American Civil Rights preservation grants. Funded through the Historic Preservation Fund, this program documents, interprets, and preserves sites and stories relate to the African American struggle to gain equal rights, from the transatlantic slave trade and onward...
Our work is made possible by our members.
Preservation Texas is the advocate for the historic and cultural resources of Texas. We are a private, member-supported nonprofit organization and do not receive any operational funding from the government.
2023 Business Sponsors
