Eight organizations have been awarded funding in THF's Spring 2026 grant cycle. From preserving historic structures to engaging new audiences through education and collections, this quarter’s grantees reflect the many ways Texas history is being explored, protected, and shared across the state.

The Texas Historical Foundation is pleased to share the winners of the 2026 Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards, the second installment of the biennial awards recognizing excellence in the preservation of historic architecture.

The Texas Historical Foundation recently traveled to Austin for Real Places 2026—the state’s premier gathering of preservationists, storytellers, and history enthusiasts.

The Kay Theater Foundation was funded to restore the stucco exterior of the historic deco-influenced Kay Theater, which serves as a hub for community arts. Once ubiquitous, the WWII-era Quonset hut theater is now the only one of its kind operating in Texas.

The grant supports the hiring of an education coordinator who will engage K–12 schools through archaeology-focused programs designed to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. Programs will include both outdoor learning experiences and traveling trunk activities for teachers and students.

Rosenberg Railroad Museum’s grant supports restoration of the 1938 ASTF #3401 Railway Post Office/Baggage Car, addressing safety, accessibility and climate control. The car, featuring original mail slots labeled for Texas towns, will become an interactive exhibit on the vital role of railroads in U.S. mail and cargo delivery.

Norma Schreiner’s Eight Miles from the Front Gate is a lively, novelistic memoir that weaves Texas history, ranching lore, and her own larger-than-life journey—from the Y.O. Ranch to a life of adventure—into an entertaining and affectionate portrait of a life well lived.

In 2025, the Texas Historical Foundation invested $236,453 in communities working to protect the places and stories that define our state. From historic buildings finding new life to archeological research deepening our understanding of Texas’ past, 31 projects across the state received needed support to move from intention to action.

This year for Halloween, we are revisiting one of our past favorites: The Jefferson Historical Society Museum's “Sitting Up with the Dead: A Victorian Mourning Exhibit." The exhibit, which we visited in 2024, explored 19th-century mourning customs, including a few eerie photographic effects and practices.