January Newsletter
JANUARY 8, 2025
PT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Board of Directors Announcements
Preservation Texas welcomes two new board members, Frank Ainsa, Jr. of Austin and Allison Elder of San Antonio, whose service began on January 1st of this year. Both are experienced attorneys who will serve an initial 3-year term. Frank has dedicated much of his career to commercial real estate and construction law, while Alison's practice focuses on conservation easement matters and real estate transactions. We look forward to the valuable insights and expertise that they will bring to the Board.
We extend our gratitude to former board members Dixie Hoover and Ron Siebler, whose second terms both ended on December 31st, for their exceptional leadership and service. Their contributions over the past six years played a key role in advancing PT’s mission and expanding our impact.
Our new officers for 2025 are:
Willis Winters, Mineral Wells - President
Sue Lazara, Linden - Vice President
Derrick Birdsall, Huntsville - Treasurer
Charlene Orr, Kaufman - Secretary
Members of the board serve as volunteers and meet quarterly around the state. This year's meetings are scheduled to take place in Houston (January), Austin (April), Fort Worth (July), and Brownsville (October).
Preservation Texas Awarded $25,000 Grant from Harry L. Willett Foundation
We are grateful to the Harry L. Willett Foundation for a grant in the amount of $25,000 in support of our San Marcos-based Central Texas programs. This funding will allow us to continue serving the region by offering historic preservation education, public outreach, and technical assistance to historic property owners, led by our Central Texas Program Officer Jesús Najar.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Preservation Texas Annual Meeting January 15th
Preservation Texas members are invited to join our virtual Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 15th at noon. Participants will hear from our board president and PT staff, who will provide an overview of our accomplishments in 2024 and also share our plans for 2025. This will be a great opportunity for members to ask us any questions and offer their input!
Current members can either register now in their online Preservation Texas account portal, or through the direct link which will be sent via email this afternoon. If you do not receive the registration email, that means your membership is not current and we hope you will consider joining or renewing!
Preservation Day February 19, 2025
Join preservation advocates from across the state in Austin for a full day of legislative briefings and advocacy opportunities on Wednesday, February 19th at the Texas State Capitol. The 89th Texas Legislature's regular session begins next week and historic preservation will be impacted by proposed legislation and budgets.
An opening reception will be held on Tuesday evening, February 18th at Preservation Austin’s newly rehabilitated, Streamline Moderne-style McFarland-McBee House.
This event is free, but participation is limited to current Preservation Texas members. Please visit PreservationTexas.org/PreservationDay25 for more information and to register to attend! To become a Preservation Texas member, please visit PreservationTexas.org/Membership.
The McFarland-McBee House
IN MEMORIAM
On behalf of Preservation Texas staff and board, we extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of JuanRaymon Rubio, who passed away unexpectedly on December 15, 2024. JuanRaymon was a valued colleague in our close-knit preservation community and recently spoke at our Historic Log Building Summit in October. His expertise, warmth, and commitment to historic preservation will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of working with him.
MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS
Most Endangered Places List Spotlight
The Odell-Rodríguez Store and Post Office in Hidalgo was built in 1889 to house a general merchandise store. It later served as a post office until 1913. Constructed of locally-made bricks with a caliche roof, it is an outstanding example of border vernacular architecture and contributes to the Old Hidalgo Courthouse and Buildings National Register Historic District. It is also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Owned by the City of Hidalgo, the building was included on our Most Endangered Places list in 2024 as it is underutilized and deteriorating due to neglect. In November, PT staff visited Hidalgo and met with local preservationists working on a vision for the future of this building and others in the Old Hidalgo Historic District on the banks of the Rio Grande.
Social Media Spotlight
Popular December Facebook Post: The old Wichita Valley Railroad Depot in Haskell was built in 1906. It saw service during the era when large shipments of cotton, cattle, grain came through the area. After service was suspended in 1951, the building was moved just south of the city on to private property. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1968, but has long since fallen into disrepair.
Popular December Instagram Post: The 1887 Tiner-Hendricks House in Sutherland Springs (Wilson County) photographed by PT's Architectural Programs Manager Jesús Najar on a recent site visit. This important two-story I-house is worthy of saving and we hope to support efforts to protect it.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Texas Preservation Trust Fund
The Texas Historical Commission is now accepting applications for the Texas Preservation Trust Fund (TPTF) grant program. Grant awards are anticipated to be in the $10,000 to $50,000 range for eligible projects, and require a one-to-one match. Special funding is available this cycle for projects in the Panhandle as well as the City of Dallas. The initial application deadline is Monday, February 3, 2025.
Texas Historical Foundation Annual Grants
Texas Historical Foundation grants provide funding for 501(c)(3) organizations with a current project related to Texas history. Grant requests between $8,000 and $25,000 are reviewed annually. Letters of inquiry for 2025 Annual Grants are due March 1, 2025.
National Trust Preservation Services
Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. The program has dedicated funding to award in Texas this quarter. NTPF grants are generally in the $2,500 to $5,000 range. The next deadline for this program is February 3, 2025.
Outsider Preservation Initiative
The Outsider Preservation Initiative has announced grant funding available for descendant-led projects in Texas that bring historic Black communities to life through storytelling, arts, and preservation. Applications are due by January 17, 2025.
