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THF Grant Presentation, Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation & The Bryan Museum

Friday, May 5, 2023

Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation in Point Bolivar, TX was the recipient of a Fall 2022 Texas Historical Foundation grant supporting restoration of the 1872 Bolivar Point Lighthouse, one of Texas’ few surviving 19th-century lighthouses. The structure survived a great deal of abuse prior to its 1933 decommissioning, famously serving as a refuge for inhabitants of the peninsula during the devastating hurricanes that battered Galveston coasts in 1900 and 1915, as well as withstanding an accidental shelling from the neighboring Fort San Jacinto army base in 1917.

Ultimately, it was not these disasters that threatened the historic iron structure, but the passing of time. By the late 2000’s, urgent repairs were needed to prevent irreversible structural damage to the lighthouse. High winds threatened to fell the original cupola, spurring the creation of Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation in 2015. Since forming, this group of advocates have made great strides in preserving the lighthouse and reaching their ultimate goal of opening its interior to the public. A presentation of their THF grant will take place 10 a.m. Friday, May 5 on-site, with Texas Historical Foundation board member Michael Graham presenting to Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director Amy Maxwell Chase.

Later that afternoon, a second presentation will be held at Galveston’s Bryan Museum (1315 21st Street) showcasing their recent THF grant towards the development of travelling history mini-exhibits for area students. The Museum has partnered with Galveston and Pasadena school districts to build on existing social studies curriculum, using famous cattleman Charles Goodnight as a point of entry for students to explore life on the Texas Frontier.

Exhibits built around touch-carts containing historically accurate replicas of frontier-era objects curated to align with course material for students ranging from elementary to middle school visited a dozen Galveston and Pasadena ISD campuses over the course of the Spring semester. Inspired by positive student responses during a field trip that prominently featured the Museum’s collection of paintings featuring Goodnight, the program is one aspect of the Bryan Museum’s initiative to bring history to all in a dynamic way.
The presentation will take place at the Bryan Museum May 5 at 2 p.m. For more upcoming exhibitions at the Bryan Museum, visit thebryanmuseum.org.

If you are a THF director or member and wish to attend either event, please contact grants@texashistoricalfoundation.org.

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