August Newsletter
August 6, 2024
MONTHLY LUNCH AND LEARN MEMBER WEBINAR:
Incorporating Oral Histories into National Register Nominations
With Megan McDonald, Architectural Historian at Post Oak Preservation Solutions
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
This webinar will explore how oral history can be employed to craft robust National Register narratives. Oral histories capture first-person perspectives and insights often lacking in other primary source materials, and are particularly useful in nominations related to communities whose voices have not been adequately reflected in the historical record. In this webinar, Megan will cover how to identify and utilize pre-existing oral histories in Texas research repositories, and how to plan and conduct new oral histories for use in National Register nominations.
Later this week, Preservation Texas members will receive a webinar registration link via email. If you are not a member, we'd love to have you join or renew! If you are unsure of your current membership status, please contact hunick@preservationtexas.org.
This will be the first monthly webinar in our new series of educational webinars for members. If you are interested in presenting a webinar as part of this series, or have ideas or comments, contact hunick@preservationtexas.org.
PRESERVATION TEXAS HISTORIC LOG BUILDING SUMMIT
Registration is open! 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.
Interested in being an exhibitor or sponsor? Click here!
CENTRAL TEXAS FALL FIELD TRIP: EAST LAMPASAS
Join Preservation Texas this November in Lampasas! This "field trip" will provide an exclusive opportunity for our members to visit several unrestored historic buildings and sites in East Lampasas, including the 1920s Lampasas Colored School and New Hope Baptist Church (two of the last significant surviving emblems of the historic Black community that has now largely disappeared from the area), as well as the ruins of the 1855 Moses Hughes Mill and Dam on Sulphur Creek. The newly formed nonprofit Lampasas Conservancy has plans to save and repurpose these imperiled sites, which were included on our Most Endangered Places List in 2023.
Participants will be guided through the process of investigating historic buildings and cultural landscapes to discover evidence of a place’s origins, past use, and evolution, while learning how to think about historic sites from the point of view of a preservationist. In addition, members of the Lampasas Conservancy will provide historical context about East Lampasas and share their vision for the future.
Registration will be free of charge for Preservation Texas members and limited to 25 participants. Stay tuned for further event details coming soon!
Left: New Hope Baptist Church. Right: Lampasas Colored School.
1939 LINDEN FIRE STATION CAMPAIGN
Preservation Texas has initiated a campaign to raise $200,000 to rehabilitate the 1939 Linden Fire Station in Northeast Texas. The rehabilitation will be the first project to be completed as part of our new Heritage Lodging Program. This initiative will transform the historic station into a unique vacation rental, which will generate revenue to maintain the property while offering an authentic guest experience in a restored landmark. Additionally, the building will be periodically open for tours, enhancing public engagement.
To date, we have completed the first phase of work which has stabilized the exterior envelope of the building. Later phases will include a new roof, installation of historically accurate windows and exterior doors, and finally, rehabilitation of the interior.
Preservation Texas invites you to support the 1939 Linden Fire Station Campaign with a donation or pledge! Together we can ensure that this irreplaceable historic resource becomes a vital contributor to Linden's architectural and economic future. Visit PreservationTexas.org/Linden to learn more and contribute to the project.
