May Newsletter
MAY 20, 2026
SUPPORTERS & DONORS UPDATES
Preservation Texas Receives Major Support from The Burdine Johnson Foundation
Preservation Texas is grateful to The Burdine Johnson Foundation for two generous grants supporting our programs and initiatives across Central Texas.
A $50,000 contribution received last month toward the purchase of the original Trinity University campus in Tehuacana played a key role in helping PT acquire this important historic property. The site will become home to the Preservation Texas Institute, a statewide center for preservation education, research, and training.
The Foundation also awarded a $75,000 grant to support our Central Texas Office in San Marcos and ongoing preservation work in Hays County. This grant will help fund the salary of our Central Texas Program Officer Jesús Najar, along with office operations, a Central Texas internship, technical assistance programs, and the development of a Field Guide to Early Texas Stone Houses focused on Blanco and Hays Counties.
Phoenix 1 Supports Preservation Texas with $25,000 Annual Sponsorship
Preservation Texas is grateful to Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction for their generous $25,000 sponsorship as a 2025 Diamond Level Business Sponsor. As Texas’s premier historic preservation construction firm, Phoenix 1 brings a highly specialized team to some of the state’s most complex restoration and rehabilitation projects. With more than 500 preservation projects completed across Texas, the company’s expertise and long-standing commitment to historic preservation make them an invaluable partner in our work.
Visit PreservationTexas.org/Sponsorship to learn more about annual Preservation Texas business sponsorship opportunities.
Generous Donations Support Preservation Texas Collections
We extend our thanks to Carol Cape Overall of San Marcos for donating family archival materials related to the historic Thompson-Cape Dam and Mill Race (pictured) on the San Marcos River, a property for which PT recently prepared an updated National Register nomination.
We also thank Hilary Saunders of San Antonio for donating a valuable collection of architecture and history books to the future Preservation Texas Institute (PTI) library, and Ellen Ray of Austin for donating an antique marble-top sideboard and glass display case to help furnish the PTI campus in Tehuacana.
PRESERVATION SERVICES UPDATES
Two Preservation Plans Completed for Hudspeth County
Through our Preservation Services program, Architectural Programs Manager Jesús Najar has completed Preservation Plans for two historic Hudspeth County-owned properties in Sierra Blanca: the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot and the adobe Palace Hotel.
These detailed reports draw on thorough on-site assessments conducted in November 2025 and extensive historical research. Together, they deliver clear, actionable guidance for rehabilitation and long-term stewardship, protecting the buildings’ cultural and architectural significance while strengthening their eligibility for important financial incentives, including the Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS UPDATES
Preservation Texas Presents at Real Places Conference
PT’s Northeast Texas Program Officer Conor Herterich presented a session at the Texas Historical Commission’s annual Real Places Conference on April 9 alongside Dylan Gielow of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The session, “Skill by Skill: A Path to Developing Heritage Trades Education in Texas,” explored the growing shortage of skilled heritage trades workers and the challenges it poses for historic preservation statewide. Using a 2025 workshop at Bonham State Park as a case study, the presentation highlighted collaborative efforts to develop a statewide heritage trades education program focused on hands-on training, workforce development, and preservation of Texas’s historic buildings.
We are currently partnering with TPWD to develop a long-term MOU that will support ongoing hands-on heritage trades training programs at state parks across Texas.
PRESERVATION TEXAS INSTITUTE UPDATES
Restoration Continues at Louisiana Hall
Exterior repairs are now 75% complete at Louisiana Hall, the 1914 former Westminster College dormitory at the Preservation Texas Institute in Tehuacana. This phase of the project includes extensive repairs to the building’s historic wood siding and trim, followed by a fresh coat of paint that has already transformed the dorm’s appearance. PT is working with restoration carpenter Gerardo Gonzalez of Corsicana on the project, which is funded in part by a grant from the Still Water Foundation. The paint was generously donated by Sherwin-Williams of Corsicana.
Above: East facade of Louisiana Hall before and after exterior envelope repairs and repainting.
On March 27-28, Preservation Texas hosted its inaugural historic window repair workshop at the PTI campus. Fifteen participants traveled from across the state to learn the fundamentals of wood window restoration through hands-on training. During the workshop, attendees restored three of Louisiana Hall’s original wood windows. We are grateful to Ron Siebler and Nicholas Bogosian for generously sharing their expertise as instructors.
Above: Workshop participants on the front porch of Louisiana Hall.
POW Buildings Roof Replacement
The former POW buildings on the PTI campus, which were relocated from Camp Mexia in 1947, have been reroofed. The deteriorated roof system had been allowing significant water infiltration into the historic structure. Preservation Texas hired American Roofing of Corsicana to complete an in-kind roof replacement, remove unused equipment, and eliminate skylights over the workshop area to create a weather-tight building envelope. The project also included critical structural repairs to the roof framing, including the replacement of deteriorated rafters and reinforcement of water-damaged framing members.
Above: POW buildings roof during and after replacement.
Regional Cultural Heritage Stakeholders Meeting
On April 30, Preservation Texas hosted a gathering at the PTI campus in Tehuacana, bringing together representatives from nearby cultural heritage organizations, parks, museums, and preservation groups. The collaborative meeting focused on developing future programs for the Institute and strengthening partnerships with regional stakeholders.
RECENT EVENTS
Preservation Month Party at the Kyle Log House
In celebration of National Historic Preservation Month, Preservation Texas hosted a special tour and lunch on May 16 at the circa 1850 Kyle Log House, which is owned by Hays County. The event was attended by over 120 guests, who were among the first to view updated exhibits inside the house. The program offered a unique opportunity to explore Hays County’s oldest surviving house, which has been closed to the public since 2020, and learn about the Claiborne Kyle Log House Commission’s ongoing efforts to preserve it for future generations.
Over the past year, Preservation Texas has been assisting the Commission with several preservation initiatives, including installation of a new county-funded wood shingle roof and a ground penetrating radar study.
This event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bill & Kate Johnson, The Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Claiborne Kyle Log House Commission, Martha & Chris Griffith, Chuck Nash Chevrolet, Alice & Phil Lebkuecher, OnPoint Roofing, the Cox Springs School Restoration Society, and Premier Cuts Hair Salon.
STATEWIDE PRESERVATION NEWS
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Ruidosa Church in Ruidosa, Texas (Presidio County) to its annual list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Since 1988, the National Trust has used its 11 Most list to raise awareness about the threats facing some of our nation's greatest treasures. Learn more about the sites included on this year’s list here!
The church was previously included on Preservation Texas’s Most Endangered Places List in 2004, and has since undergone significant repairs.
PT MEMBER PERKS
Celebrate National Preservation Month with Historic Hotels
In honor of National Historic Preservation Month, Preservation Texas has partnered with Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide to offer our members exclusive savings of up to 30% off best available rates at participating hotels booked through HistoricHotels.org and HistoricHotelsWorldwide.com. Hotel rates are subject to availability, and blackout dates may apply. Preservation Texas members may contact us to receive the promo code if you do not already have it.
If you are not a current member, we would love to have you join or renew today!
