March Newsletter
MARCH 5, 2025
PT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Membership Drive
If you are not a current member of Preservation Texas, now is a great time to join or renew! This month, we will be launching some exciting new membership perks, including a 40% discount on paint at Sherwin-Williams, as well as discounted rates of up to 30% on bookings at participating Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide!
Additionally, Preservation Texas members have exclusive access to our members-only programs, such as our monthly educational webinars, and regional Field Trips, as well as discounts on ticketed events, such as our Preservation Summits being planned for San Marcos (June 24th), Fort Worth (July 25th), Longview (September TBD), Brownsville (October 9th), and El Paso (November TBD) this year.
As a private nonprofit organization, member support truly helps make our work possible! To join or renew online (or to download our mail-in membership form to pay by check), please visit preservationtexas.org/membership. If you are unsure of your membership status, please email hunick@preservationtexas.org.
Volunteer to Serve on a Committee
Preservation Texas is looking for experienced and energetic members to volunteer on the following committees:
Development Committee
Preservation Programs Committee
Real Estate Committee
Public Policy Committee
Historic Resources Stewardship Committee
These committees play a key role in advancing the five Strategic Directions outlined in our Strategic Vision: A Roadmap to the 2036 Texas Bicentennial. Preservation Texas committees meet virtually on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. For more information and to submit an application, please visit preservationtexas.org/committees.
El Paso County Heritage Center Opening March 27th
Preservation Texas is excited to announce that our new El Paso County Heritage Center is opening on March 27, 2025 in the heart of downtown El Paso at 201 E. San Antonio Ave! This project is being overseen by our West Texas Program Officer, Victor Hurtado.
We are now hiring for a part-time El Paso County Heritage Center Associate! The deadline to apply is Friday, March 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM MST. More information and how to apply can be found at the link below.
Our opening exhibit, Adobe at the Pass: Documenting the Mission Valley in 1936, features HABS photographs of iconic adobe structures in El Paso County taken by architect Marvin Eickenroht in 1936. This bilingual exhibit also explores the history, significance, and future of adobe construction in West Texas.
Preservation Texas Awarded $50,000 Grant From 1772 Foundation
The 1772 Foundation, in cooperation with the National Preservation Partners Network, has awarded nineteen grants to historic properties redevelopment programs (HPRPs) across the country. Also known as revolving funds, HPRPs are enterprising programs that proactively use real estate techniques to protect and rehabilitate endangered properties.
The $50,000 grant to Preservation Texas will be used to complete Phase One of the $1 million exterior rehabilitation of the Bassett House, including reconstructing the rear porch and installing exterior hardware. Once complete, the historic tax credit Preservation Texas earns will seed a new $250,000 Tax Credit Revolving Loan Fund, allowing Preservation Texas to advance tax credits to its own qualifying projects. Since tax credits are not earned and awarded until the end of a project, this fund will enable Preservation Texas to take advantage of tax credits before they are earned, with the fund repaid upon project completion.
This program is a result of a Feasibility Study funded by The 1772 Foundation in 2020. We thank the foundation for their commitment to Preservation Texas as we develop a revolving fund program.
The 1875 Bassett House is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and anchors the 2,400-acre cultural landscape of Bassett Farms.
Preservation Texas Awarded $7,500 Grant From The Summerlee Foundation
Preservation Texas has been awarded a grant in the amount of $7,500 from The Summerlee Foundation. This grant will partially fund an Operations and Business Plan for the proposed Preservation Texas Institute, a statewide hub for preservation education and training. The institute will incorporate the Bassett Farms/Hopewell Freedom Colony property in Limestone County as an auxiliary field school. The planning process will include local stakeholder meetings, statewide surveys, infrastructure needs assessment, and the development of potential educational offerings, such as hands-on workshops, leadership training, residency programs, and intensive thematic programs on architecture, material culture, and cultural landscapes.
Preservation Texas is grateful for the Summerlee Foundation's longstanding support of our various preservation initiatives.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Lunch & Learn Member Webinar Series
MARCH WEBINAR: Preserving the Legacy of Trailblazing Songwriter Cindy Walker
With Lindsay Liepman, Founder, Cindy Walker Foundation
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
If you've ever heard a Bob Wills tune, then you've probably heard a Cindy Walker song. If Waylon Jennings declared, "Bob Wills is still the King," then Songwriter Cindy Walker was certainly the ace behind the kings of country music. Webinar attendees will hear the story of Cindy Walker's success in songwriting, her life in small town Texas and the historic preservation efforts underway to restore her home and studio in Mexia which was included on Preservation Texas's Most Endangered Places List in 2022 and on the National Trust's 11 Most List in 2024.
Current members can register now in their online Preservation Texas account portal, or email us directly for the registration link.
Creative Spaces Summit: Revitalizing Old Buildings through Art and Culture
SAVE THE DATE: JULY 25, 2025 IN FORT WORTH
Join Preservation Texas and MINDPOP at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth on Friday, July 25th for the Creative Spaces Summit! This event will bring together preservationists, artists, and community leaders to explore how historic structures can be revitalized to serve as hubs for creativity and community engagement, such as art galleries, performance spaces, maker spaces, residency programs, and more. Sessions will also include discussions of funding models, incentive programs, and other critical issues facing historic preservation and the arts, as well as opportunities for collaborative partnerships. An opening keynote and reception will be held on Thursday evening, July 24th at a historic venue in downtown Fort Worth (TBD).
We invite proposals for illustrated case study presentations at the Summit. We seek engaging 50-minute presentations (including time for Q&A) that showcase successful projects and innovative strategies at the intersection of historic preservation, art, and culture. A list of suggested presentation topics and submission guidelines can be found at preservationtexas.org/creativespaces.
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth courtesy of themodern.org
2025 Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit: The Future of Historic and Cultural Districts
SAVE THE DATE: JUNE, 24, 2025 IN SAN MARCOS
Historic and cultural districts have long been a cornerstone of local preservation efforts, shaping how communities protect and celebrate their heritage. The 2025 Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit will take a broad look at the state of these districts, examining their origins, evolution, and effectiveness as a preservation strategy. This program will focus on often-overlooked neighborhood types, including post-World War II working-class communities. Sessions will address the impact of recent legislation and incentives, highlight innovative approaches to district designation and management, and discuss proposed policy changes that could shape the future of preservation in Texas.
We invite proposals for presentations at the Summit, focused on the future of historic and cultural districts in the rapidly-growing Central Texas region. We seek engaging 45-minute presentations (including time for Q&A). A list of suggested topics and submission guidelines can be found at preservationtexas.org/ctxsummit25.
Preservation Day at the Capitol 2025
A group of 45 Preservation Texas members gathered at the Capitol in Austin for a day of legislative briefings and advocacy on February 19th. Attendees were welcomed to the event by Rep. Erin Zwiener, whose office also provided a Preservation Day House Resolution that was read on the House floor in honor of Preservation Texas.
Our key legislative priorities for this session include full funding for the Texas Historical Commission’s programs, enhanced public input before the demolition of State Antiquities Landmarks, protecting and enhancing the 25% State Historic Tax Credit, protecting historic cemeteries, supporting rural heritage initiatives, and ensuring local control over historic district regulations.
We are grateful to Preservation Austin for hosting an opening reception at their newly rehabilitated McFarland-McBee House.
MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS
Most Endangered Places List Spotlight
In 2022, the First Independent Baptist Church (FIBC) in Corsicana was included on our Most Endangered Places List as part of a thematic listing: Rural African-American Heritage Sites. It is one of ten projects to receive funding from Preservation Texas through our Texas Rural African American Heritage Grants Program funded by a $750,000 Paul Bruhn Revitalization grant from the National Park Service.
A $75,000 grant to FIBC funded a project to stop water infiltration into the building which was causing structural deterioration and damaging the interior. This included replacement of part of the roof, installation of new flashing, and replacement of rotten fascia boards around the roof perimeter. Separately, PT worked with FIBC and other partners to develop a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the building.
Social Media Spotlight
PT’s Architectural Programs Manager, Jesús Najar, is working to provide recommendations for the rehabilitation of a circa 1860 sandstone farmhouse on the Kuykendall-Pohl farm near Breslau (Lavaca County). The two-story dogtrot-style house was enclosed and converted into a barn after sustaining hurricane damage in the 1960s.
Earlier this week Jesús facilitated a site visit with architectural conservator Frank Briscoe and a group of students from the UT Austin School of Architecture in Professor Racheal Lute’s Architectural Conservation: Field Methods class. The students conducted conditions assessments and made measured drawings of the structure, while Frank used a LiDAR scanner to create a 3D model of the building.
GENERAL NEWS
Preservation Houston Seeks Executive Director
Preservation Houston is hiring for an Executive Director with urban history and community development experience to significantly grow their resources and accomplishments. This individual will lead a strong 3 member staff, and work with a committed board of directors drawn from Houston’s business communities and civic society at large. Visit preservationhouston.org/director to learn more and apply!
THC Historical Marker Applications Open Now
The Texas Historical Commission's 2025 application window for historical markers is open now through May 15th! The THC website offers helpful guides and resources to make the process easier.
