June Newsletter
JUNE 9, 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendars! Preservation Texas staff members Jesús Najar and Conor Herterich are organizing the following exciting educational programs:
BUILDINGS ON THE MOVE: CASE STUDIES IN RELOCATING HISTORIC STRUCTURES
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Historic Old Town, New Braunfels
Join Preservation Texas in New Braunfels for a one-day Summit exploring the challenges, opportunities, and best practices involved in moving historic buildings. Through a series of recent Central Texas case studies, speakers will examine the historical context behind building relocations and share lessons learned from projects that have successfully balanced preservation goals with practical realities. Sessions will address the policy, advocacy, planning, and logistics involved in these complex projects.
The event will take place on August 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the New Braunfels Conservation Society’s Historic Old Town (1300 Church Hill Drive), a 3.5-acre heritage village featuring 18 relocated nineteenth-century German-Texan structures. During the lunch break, attendees will have the opportunity to tour several of the site’s historic buildings. Lunch is included with registration.
In-person registration is $40 for current Preservation Texas members, or $50 for non-members. A virtual attendance option is also available. In-person registration is limited to 50 attendees. Visit PreservationTexas.org/CTXSummit26 to learn more and register while spots remain.
Sponsorship opportunities are available! For questions about this event, please email Jesús Najar at jesus@preservationtexas.org.
Pictured: The 1887 Tiner-Hendrick House in Sutherland Springs being moved in May of 2026.
HISTORIC LOG BUILDING SYMPOSIUM 2.0
September 3 & 4, 2026 | Walker Education Center at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville
Preservation Texas's 2026 Historic Log Building Symposium will begin on Thursday evening, September 3, with a reception and keynote address by Derrick Birdsall, Director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum & Republic of Texas Presidential Library. On Friday, September 4, attendees will hear presentations from preservation professionals, craftspeople, scholars, and site stewards on a variety of topics related to the preservation, rehabilitation, and long-term stewardship of historic log buildings. Registration will be open to anyone interested in preserving historic log buildings.
A pre-Symposium Field Seminar will also be offered on Thursday, September 3, providing participants with the opportunity to visit and learn from several historic log structures in the Huntsville area. Additional details, registration information, and the full program will be announced soon.
The Symposium is part of Preservation Texas’s broader effort to establish the first Texas-specific best practices for the treatment of vernacular log buildings. Discussions and presentations will help inform the development of a Texas Log Building Preservation Manual, intended to complement the National Park Service’s 1991 Preservation Brief on log building repair by addressing materials, environmental conditions, and construction traditions unique to Texas.
Sponsorship opportunities are available! For questions about this event, please email Conor Herterich at conor@preservationtexas.org.
Pictured: Sam Houston’s Law Office at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum & Republic of Texas Presidential Library in Huntsville.
IN MEMORIAM
Remembering Jim Ray
We are saddened to share that James F. “Jim” Ray passed away on June 4 in Austin at the age of 85. Jim served as President of Preservation Texas from 2011–2012 and was a lifelong advocate for historic preservation and public service in Texas. Over the course of his career, Jim helped establish the state’s regional councils of governments, played a significant role in Texas’s constitutional revision efforts in the 1970s, and spent decades advising public agencies through his consulting firm, Ray Associates, Inc.
A memorial service will be held at University Presbyterian Church in Austin on Wednesday, June 10, at 1:30 p.m. In Jim’s honor, Preservation Texas is accepting donations to the General Programs Fund. Contributions will support our mission to protect and promote the cultural resources of Texas.
2026 MOST ENDANGERED PLACES LIST UPDATES
Preservation Texas announced its 2026 list of Texas's Most Endangered Places on May 26. This year’s list includes six significant historic sites representing a diverse range of Texas heritage: a nationally recognized brutalist icon, a Houston neighborhood theater, a Texas centennial reconstruction, a Route 66 moderne-era site, a prominent Austin bridge, and a vernacular pioneer homestead.
The 2026 list highlights both the architectural and cultural diversity of Texas and the wide range of preservation challenges facing communities across the state. To learn more about the sites included on the 2026 list, visit PreservationTexas.org/MEP2026.
2026 Most Endangered Places in the News:
KXAN Austin: Barton Springs Bridge named one of Preservation Texas's Most Endangered Places for 2026
CBS Austin: Preservation Texas lists Barton Springs Bridge as endangered, urges Austin to preserve it
Austin Free Press: Lifespan: Barton Springs Bridge named to 2026 “Most Endangered Places” list
Dallas Observer: Dallas City Hall named one of Texas’ most endangered places by preservation group
Dallas Express: Dallas City Hall Named One Of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places 2026
Candy's Dirt: Dallas City Hall Lands on Texas’ Most Endangered Places List
KFDX Wichita Falls: Preservation Texas advocates to save historic Simon Peter Hawkins House
PRESERVATION TEXAS INSTITUTE UPDATE
Preservation Texas has signed a contract with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) of Austin to conduct a structural assessment of Texas Hall in Tehuacana and develop a budget to plan for its stabilization.
This important work is made possible by a $50,000 Texas Preservation Trust Fund grant from the Texas Historical Commission, matched by a generous $50,000 grant from the Harry L. Willett Foundation.
The assessment is a critical next step in planning for both the short-term stabilization and long-term restoration of Texas Hall as the centerpiece of the future Preservation Texas Institute, a statewide center dedicated to preservation education, hands-on training, and research. Work is expected to begin later this month.
Pictured: The north elevation of Texas Hall
NATIONAL PRESERVATION NEWS
Urge Congress to Support National Historic Trail Designation for Route 66
As Route 66 celebrates its centennial in 2026, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading efforts to secure its designation as a National Historic Trail. This designation would recognize the historic roadway, support preservation efforts, and generate economic benefits for the hundreds of communities along its route.
Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support H.R. 5470 and S. 2887, the bill that would establish the Route 66 National Historic Trail.
Earlier this year, Preservation Texas hosted a webinar with Rhys Martin, Manager of the National Trust's Route 66 Initiative, who discussed the road's continuing evolution and the efforts underway to preserve its legacy.
