 1874 Church, Belton, Bell County(download press release)
This Belton structure, originally known as Old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, is the oldest standing church in Bell County. The building, constructed of limestone rubble masonry, was finished in 1874. A stone bell tower was added in 1956. The church served as a place for refuge and solace during World War II.
The church is structurally unsound: The north and south walls are 10 inches out of plumb and the face stone of the walls has separated from the inner layer. The foundation has shifted and settled during the past 140 years, which has contributed to the building's distress.
Nominator: 1874 Church Restoration Committee
 Former Alamo Elementary School, Houston, Harris County (download press release)
This two-story brick building with Romanesque Revival detailing was built in 1913 as the Sunset Heights School. The school, when completed, stood outside the city limits, though it became part of the Houston School District in the 1920s. In 1926, a one-story Classical Revival building was constructed adjacent to the 1913 school and the name of the school was changed to Alamo Elementary. Since the 1980s, the property was a maintenance facility for the Houston Independent School District.
The school was placed on the district's list of properties set for disposition. The school occupies a full block in a historic residential neighborhood that is facing significant development pressures. It's likely the property will be sold to a developer who will demolish the building.
Nominator: Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
 American National Bank, Austin, Travis County(download press release)
The American National Bank building, which opened in 1954, was billed as the “most modern, efficient and service-minded bank in Texas.” For their new headquarters, bank officials hired prominent designers who integrated art and architecture into a thoroughly modern public/private building. The lead designer was Austin-based architectural firm Kuehne, Brooks and Barr (1942-1960) and the interiors were designed by Florence Knoll (1917-) who integrated a large mural by local artist, Seymour Fogel (1911-1984). Later, the building was acquired by the State of Texas for the offices of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, who occupied the building until 2005. The building is for sale. Its location in one of the most desirable parts of downtown Austin makes it likely that it will be demolished to make room for a larger mixed-use building.
Been vacant since 2005, the same year the Texas General Land office acquired the former bank building. Currently being marketed for sale and demolition due to the value of the land in downtown Austin.
Nominator: Heritage Society of Austin
 Bluff Dale Bridge, Bluff Dale, Erath County(download press release)
Completed in 1891, the Bluff Dale Bridge is a exceedingly rare example of a nineteenth-century cable-stayed bridge. The bridge spans 225 feet and has seven one-inch cables that run the length of each side. Towers made of nine-inch pipe support the cables 28 feet above the water. The bridge is built over the Paluxy River about halfway between Stephenville and Granbury and served as the principal crossing of the river until 1934. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad built through the area in 1889 and the town became a livestock shipping port for local ranchers.
The bridge is in an advanced state of deterioration. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1989 because of the cables are extremely frayed and the pipes that support the bridge are no longer safe for traffic. Since being taken out of service, maintenance has been non-existent. TXDOT applied for Transportation Enhancement funds for a Historic Bridge Preservation Program in 2006 and the Bluff Dale Bridge was included in the proposal. However, two years ago TXDOT corrected agency budget problems by canceling the enhancement program. As a result, Bluff Dale and 40 other historic bridges in Texas are without rehabilitation funds.
Nominator: Historic Bridge Foundation and Erath County Historical Commission
 Hamilton Pool Preserve, Dripping Springs, Travis County(download press release)
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural feature in southwest Travis County upstream from the confluence of Hamilton Creek and the Pedernales River. The pool occurs where Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings, creating a 50-foot waterfall that plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up though it slows to a trickle in dry times.
Hamilton Pool Preserve is suffering from its own popularity as a recreational destination as well as from minimal regulation and increased suburban development. In May 2007, Hamilton Pool and Hamilton Creek suffered major silt and erosion runoff during the construction of a residential subdivision upstream. The damage to Hamilton Pool, Davis Creek, Cripple Creek, Hamilton Creek and 10 unnamed tributaries in the surrounding area has been devastating.
Nominator: Hamilton Pool Road Scenic Corridor Coalition and the Hill Country Alliance.
 Heritage Plaza, Heritage Park, Fort Worth, Tarrant County (download press release)
Heritage Plaza, part of the 112-acre Heritage Park owned by the City of Forth Worth, was designed by internationally-renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin (1916-), who was known for his work with urban spaces. Heritage Plaza was built to commemorate Fort Worth's rich history as a part of the nation's bicentennial celebration. The plaza, situated on a bluff that provides sweeping views of the Trinity River, is a meditative space that focuses on the site's natural and scenic wonders.
Lawrence Halprin designed Heritage Plaza at the Request of Streams and Valleys, a local non-profit organization, and Ruth Carter Stevenson. Halprin also designed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco. Heritage Plaza was designated a 2008 Landslide list “Endangered Marvel of Modernism” by the Cultural Landscape Foundation and was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The City of Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department closed Heritage Plaza in summer 2007. Its fountains are dry, and its walls and walkways are not being maintained. The trees and plantings within plaza reveal years of neglect, adding to the perception that the park is an unsafe place. The city has not provided any updates on its plans for the park, and it will remain closed until future actions are determined. Rather than being cherished a community asset, Heritage Plaza has literally been kept in the dark, as have the citizens of Fort Worth.
Nominator: Historic Fort Worth, Inc.
 Judge J.N. Campbell House, Longview, Gregg County(download press release)
The Judge J.N. Campbell house was completed in 1872 and was bought by J.N. Campbell, the first Gregg County judge around 1895. The home was originally constructed in the Queen Anne style but was renovated in the early 1900s in the Neoclassical style. Longview was established in 1870 adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad. As the home of a prominent judge, the structure played host to Texas jurists as well as business and political leaders. J.N. Campbell’s brother, Thomas Mitchell Campbell (1856-1923) served as Texas governor from 1907 until 1911 and was a friend of James Hogg.
The house is vacant. A preliminary evaluation found evidence of structural distress caused by damaged floor joists, foundation settlement and water damage. The community is taking an active role in revitalizing Longview and the restoration of the Campbell house will encourage other preservation efforts.
Nominator: Preservation Longview
 Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor, Helotes to Boerne, Bexar County(download press release)
Located at the base of the Hill Country, Scenic Loop Road is a winding byway that was created as a scenic touring route for San Antonians in the 1920s. The Scenic Loop was originally 46.3 miles roundtrip from downtown San Antonio and was built to connect with the Boerne Stage Road. At that point, the Road turns north and continues as Boerne Stage Rd to the Balcones Creek at the Kendall County Line
The history of the area spans several thousands of years. A drive along the route reveals evidence of prehistoric sites, nineteenth-century rock structures, historic ranches and farms, abundant wildlife habitat and the Old Spanish Trail.
After nearly a century of sprawl, the remaining scenic and historic route is about a fifth of its original distance, totally about 10 miles. The residents fought the widening of the loop in 1985, and they continue to oppose adjacent development. However, as the site is outside of San Antonio's jurisdiction, developers have few regulations and are free to clear-cut properties or dynamite hills. After nearly a century of sprawl, the remaining scenic and historic route is still very much in danger.
Nominator: Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Alliance
 Socorro Mission Rectory, El Paso, El Paso County(download press release)
The Socorro Mission, Nuestra Senora de Limpia Concepcion de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of the Piros of Socorro of the South), was established in the late seventeenth century by Spanish missionaries in attempt to Christianize the Piro Indians. The Socorro Mission remains a functioning Catholic parish and is open to the public. The mission complex includes the mission, the Lourdes Grotto, old and new cemeteries, the Parish hall, grounds and the one-story adobe rectory. The 1840s rectory is the only surviving example of a Mexican/Territorial structure intended for use by a parish priest in the West Texas/Southern New Mexico/Northern Mexico region. Thought to have been constructed in an L-shape, the rectory now has a square floor plan with a center courtyard.
The building is in poor condition due to moisture entrapment and differential movement caused by the application of cement-based products beginning in the 1920s. Cracks and fractures are visible in the interior and exterior stucco surfaces. After completing the restoration of the Mission several years ago, the parish has focused its attention on the restoration of the rectory. Fundraising for this ambitious plan is proceeding slowly and is a difficult task for the small Socorro community.
Nominator: El Paso County Historical Commission
 Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District, Galveston, Galveston Island(download press release)
Galveston Island is a city known for its wealth of nineteenth and twentieth-century architecture. The Strand/Mechanic Historic District is among the island’s most significant collection of architecture, with more than 45 buildings in 12 blocks of significant architectural merit. This district, whose buildings date to the 1850s, has stood r resilient to the point of heroic defiance though economic and natural disasters.
On September 13, 2008, Galveston Island took a direct hit from Hurricane Ike. The streets and buildings in the Strand/Mechanic District were inundated with seawater, oil and debris. The buildings were immersed in up to 13 feet of water, which obliterated interiors and swamped mechanical systems. High winds damaged roofs. Water stood in these structures for more than two days, seeping into irreparable historic fabrics. Galveston urgently needs and deserves a renaissance.
Nominator: Historic Galveston Foundation
 Texas Governor’s Mansion(download press release)
As the fourth-oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the United States, the Texas Governor's Mansion has been the offical home of each of the forty Texas governors since 1856. Constructed by master builder Abner Cook , the Mansion is a fine example of the Greek Revival style and was built from Texas materials like long-leaf pine from Bastrop and brick made on the Colorado River. As the oldest building in the State Capitol Complex, the Governor's Mansion has played a significant role in political and governmental events for more than 15 decades. The home also stands as an historical repository of domestic life during the past 153 years. The Mansion’s history showcases technological change, changing taste in building interiors, the evolution of the role of women and changes in the daily routine of family life in the public arena. The Governor's Mansion is the most historic home in Texas and is an architectural treasure.
Fire nearly destroyed the Mansion in June 2008. The restoration will rightly require the highest level of craftsmanship and attention to historical details, and the efforts will cost millions and take several years. Because the State is self-insured and because all revenue sources have been affected by the overall economic downturn, it remains uncertain how this Texas treasure will be preserved.
Nominator: The Friends of the Governor’s Mansion
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