Our History
In 1985, leaders from nonprofit preservation groups around the state of Texas met in Austin to discuss the vacuum created by the demise of the Texas Heritage Council, an arm of the Texas Historical Foundation. With its initial trustees at the helm—James T. Bratton (Dallas), Peter Brink (Galveston) and Janet Francis (San Antonio)—Preservation Texas, Inc. (PT) was incorporated in December 1985.
Preservation Texas is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, headquartered in San Marcos. The organization receives no operational funding from the government, and relies on membership dues, grants, and donations to support its work. A volunteer Board of Directors, drawn from a range of professional and community backgrounds, governs the organization and provides direction to staff.
Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos. © 2006 Larry D. Moore.
Our Mission
The chartered purposes of Preservation Texas are intended to enable a range of preservation activities:
1. To serve as an auxiliary to all agencies of the State of Texas concerned with our history, heritage, and the preservation and maintenance of significant areas, sites, buildings, monuments, and artifacts;
2. To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise or bequest, with or without restriction, and to preserve, restore, maintain and present to the public those areas, sites, buildings, monuments, artifacts, documents, and objects which are significant in the history, prehistory, archaeology, architecture, heritage and culture of Texas;
3. To disseminate knowledge of the history, prehistory, heritage and culture of Texas;
4. To engage in historical and archaeological research on the activities of past Texans;
5. To foster, encourage and develop a general appreciation and understanding of the accomplishments of past generations of Texans in order that the lives of present and future generations may be enriched
The Outlaw Station, a petrified wood filling station in Glen Rose (Somervell County)