The Texas Historical Foundation is pleased to announce its summer 2026 grant recipients, supporting ten projects that preserve Texas history through education, technology, archaeology, historic structures, and community engagement. From protecting a WWII naval landmark in Galveston and documenting ancient rock art in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands to preserving African American history, restoring historic buildings, and inspiring the next generation of preservationists, these projects demonstrate the remarkable breadth of preservation work happening across our state.
THF's Summer 2026 grantees are:
- Calvert Colored & Spigner High Alumni, Calvert — Funds will support a community-driven digital lab to preserve documents, photographs, and oral histories of the Calvert Rosenwald School and make them accessible to the public online.
- Cavalla Historical Foundation, Galveston — Grant funds will support proactive rust prevention on the hull of the WWII destroyer escort USS Stewart, helping protect a naval landmark that welcomes more than 55,000 visitors annually.
- Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum, Cuero — Support for Cowboy Camp 2026 will provide local youth with free, hands-on experiences in blacksmithing, roping, and covered wagon rides, connecting a new generation with Texas ranching heritage.
- Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, Taylor — Funds will help showcase architectural plans for rebuilding the historic home of Dr. James Dickey, a prominent civil rights advocate and important figure in Taylor's history.
- Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery, Dallas — Funding will support the Constellation of Living Memorials program, transforming the pioneer-era Lagow Cemetery into an open-air classroom where youth can explore and learn to steward historic cemeteries.
- LX Heritage, Galveston — Support for the MAST Archeology Lab Improvement Project will upgrade archival storage and help accelerate the discovery and display of maritime artifacts.
- Meetinghouse Revival, Corsicana — Grant funds will support Phase 2 restoration of Wesley Chapel's exterior and historic stained-glass windows, helping preserve the Reconstruction-era landmark for future use as a cultural hub.
- The Shumla School, Comstock — Funding will provide strategic equipment upgrades to digitally document the vulnerable 5,000-year-old rock murals of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands.
- Texas General Land Office, Austin — Support will sponsor a student research showcase at the 2026 Save Texas History Symposium, encouraging the next generation of Texas historians and preservationists.
- Painted Rocks Historical Site, Paint Rock — Grant funds will support production of Introducing the Painted Rocks, an immersive educational video using the site's ancient Indigenous pictographs, historic graffiti, and archaeological deposits to explore the people and forces that shaped Texas history.
Together, these projects reflect THF's commitment to supporting preservation efforts of all kinds and helping communities across Texas protect, understand, and share the places and stories that make our state unique.
