New Museum Focusing on Texas’ Mexican American History Coming to Dallas

THF visits three history museums on Texas' gulf coast.

Ten Texas Non-Profits Chosen to Receive Texas Historical Foundation Grants for Spring 2024

Fire destroys historic Royse City Methodist Church in May; Ten non-profits chosen to receive THF grants in Spring 2024 cycle; Cemetery preservation meets Blackland Prairie Conservation; Braniff History & Architecture Conference Announced for September 2024.

Fire destroyed the historic Royse City Methodist Church on May 28, 2024. The church was designed by James E. Flanders, one of Dallas' earliest architects, and completed in 1904.

The search for the earliest Texans, keeping Galveston's Juneteenth traditions alive, and a new generation of Caddo Nation artisans: Texas Historical Foundation's Spring 2024 grantees announced.

Meet the group breathing new life into historic Dallas cemeteries by restoring them to native Blackland Prairie.

Inaugural Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards event a success; Rockdale's Old City Hall bell tower returns; Friends of THC grant presentation takes place at Real Places 2024 conference; Inaugural Bryan Museum History Symposium, presented by THF, announced for June 2024.

Announcing the honorees of the first-ever Texas Historical Foundation Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards

Catch up with Texas Historical Foundation's Spring 2024 grantees! THF meets with Friends of the Tye Preston Library, Canyon Lake and Castro Colonies Heritage Association, Castroville.

The legacy of William Sydney Pittman, Texas' first black architect; Grant presentations for Friends of the Tye Preston Memorial Library and Castro Colonies Heritage Association.

An excerpt from David Preziosi's upcoming article in Authentic Texas magazine details the life and legacy of William Sidney Pittman, Texas' first Black architect. Pittman gained national acclaim for his architectural designs at a time when few Black architects practiced. Many of his buildings were demolished, but the Knights of Pythias building in Dallas stands today as one of his most important works.

The 1895 | 140 W. Cameron Ave, Rockdale | 10:30 a.m. March 29
A presentation of THF's grant to Vision Historic Preservation Foundation is planned for March 29, 2024. Grant supports the Rockdale Sesquicentennial event, 12 days of culture, heritage, and history celebrations in downtown Rockdale this July hosted by Vision Historic.

The Clay House is an important contributing structure in the Zion Hill Historic District in Nacogdoches and an excellent example of early-20th-century architecture. The African American Heritage Project is currently restoring the house into a community center and local history museum, and their progress is impressive.

Restoration of the Clay House in Nacogdoches; 12 organizations chosen to receive THF grants in Winter 2024 cycle.

New Tom Lea Trail Mobile Tour app by the Tom Lea Institute; Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards event tickets on sale; THF's 70th anniversary; Grant presentations to Italian Cultural & Community Center and Glenwood Cemetery Historical Preservation Foundation; Edward Lengel becomes new THC Director.

The Tom Lea Institute's Executive Director Holly Packard Cobbs tells us about an exciting new immersive mobile tour that highlights iconic native Texan artist and author Tom Lea.

Two Houston groups receive Texas Historical Foundation funding for historic preservation projects.

Happy Holidays from THF; Date announced for 2024 Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards event; Grant presentation for Dr Pepper Museum.

Waco's Dr Pepper Museum receives Texas Historical Foundation grant in support of exhibition space updates.
Dr Pepper Museum┃300 S. 5th St., Waco┃December 18, 2023

THF supports pre-historic research statewide; Lost + Found exhibit curated by David Preziosi opens at AD EX in Dallas; El Paso Museum of History honors THF board member Juan Uribe and wife Linda; Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Latinos in Heritage Conservation receive THF grants; THF to partner with Authentic Texas Magazine; Duda Center announces fellowship opportunity.

Texas Historical Foundation may have “historical” in its title, but our work involves protecting all of Texas’ heritage – both historical and prehistorical.

Latinos in Heritage Conservation widen the circle of participants in historic preservation with Latinx Preservation Toolkit series.

Republic of Texas Legation in London; Inaugural Duda Forum on Historic Preservation; Grants presented to Texas Energy Museum, Doss Heritage & Cultural Center, and Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center; Texas HERITAGE Magazine to feature change makers in next issue.

THF to hold presentation of recent grant to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas November 6 in Washington, D.C. The grant supports DRT's efforts to erect a marker in the U.S. capitol honoring the diplomatic legation from the Republic of Texas.

Not far from St. James Palace in London, you can find a plaque on the side of 300-year old liquor store that pays tribute to the former location of the Texas Legation, established when the Republic of Texas was newly formed and installing delegations in Washington DC, Paris, and London. This history would be forgotten by most if not for the efforts of the Anglo-Texas Society to commemorate it in 1986.

Presentations of grants to the Texas Energy Museum, Doss Heritage & Culture Center, and Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center.

THF Staff attends two Preservation Texas Summits in Tyler and San Marcos; Duda Forum on Historic Preservation and Development; Duda awards internal review of applications completed; THF grants presented to four organizations this month; and a peek inside the contents of Texas HERITAGE Volume 3.

Two Preservation Texas Summits were held in September, one in Tyler and one in San Marcos. The summits highlighted historic preservation efforts in their region and included a wide variety of fascinating topics.

San Antonio-based nonprofits with projects supported by Texas Historical Foundation grants; the Texas Heritage Project of American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions develops exhibits from their archive, while Mexican American Civil Rights Institute pursues National Register of Historic Places inclusion for a Corpus Christi home associated with landmark civil rights case.

Update on the restoration of two Dell Motley leatherwork art pieces; THF moves to Dallas; THF presents grants to Preservation Austin and San Antonio Conservation Society; George and Harriet Fulton to be featured in upcoming HERITAGE Magazine.

Texans Take Flight: THF presents grants to Lone Star Flight Museum, Houston, and Braniff Airways Foundation, Dallas.

Update on the Dell Motley leather artwork restoration in progress at Nocona's Tales 'N' Trails Museum.

The history of the western Texas border; THF Summer board meeting held in Taos, NM; Grant presented to North Texas Masonic Museum & Library; Texas citrus production highlighted in next HERITAGE magazine.

The history of the Royse City Futuro House; THF hosts Sharron and Doug Rogers Appreciation Reception in Grapevine; Preview of HERITAGE article about the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station established after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

McFarland House | 3805 Red River St, Austin | August 22, 2023
Preservation Austin recognized with THF grant for restoration efforts at Austin's beloved McFarland House.

Thirteen preservation projects across Texas awarded Texas Historical Foundation grants in latest round of funding.

The northwestern Texas border once extended to the Rio Grande River in northern New Mexico and Colorado during the period that Texas was a sovereign state between 1836 and 1845. By 1850, the state took the familiar shape that we all know and love today.

Plano Masonic Lodge | 1414 J Ave, Plano | July 28, 2023
NTMHM&L receive grant in support of preservation work at one of Plano's oldest cemeteries.

Yturri-Edmunds House Museum | 128 Mission Rd, San Antonio | August 3, 2023
Texas Historical Foundation presents grant to San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation in support of their preservation efforts at the 1860 Yturri-Edmonds House.

Grant presented to the Orange Show Foundation in support of their efforts to restore and maintain Houston's The Orange Show-- plus, a history of how the beloved outsider art installation came to be.

In rural Royse City, a remarkable other-worldly structure called a Futuro House has been a beloved landmark for decades.

Grants Director Ryann Griffin takes us along on her trek to see four Painted Churches in the Texas hill country; Executive Director David Preziosi gives us an update on North Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit 2023; Texas HERITAGE celebrates 40 years of publishing; 2024 Duda Preservation Award submissions are open; THF website gets a makeover.

A photo-essay of our trip to four historic painted churches in the Texas hill country, plus a route guide for the history-curious traveler.

Veterans assist in the search for the Battle of Medina site; technological updates coming to THF website; North Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit 2023; Burrell Cannon and his flying machine.

THF is excited to announce the first-ever Michael C. Duda Preservation Awards, honoring excellence in Texas historic preservation with a top prize of $100,000.

Presentations of Spring 2023 THF grants to the Architecture & Design Foundation, Dallas, and Archer County Museum & Arts Center, Archer City.

Aldredge House | 5500 Swiss Ave, Dallas | May 5, 2023
A presentation of the THF grant to Friends of Aldredge House in support of their Living History production of The Writer and the Rancher play will take place at the historic Aldredge House in Dallas.

Two Galveston-area THF grant presentations to take place May 5, 2023.

The exact location of the Battle of Medina site has been a mystery for years. American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) found compelling new evidence that points to the actual location of the battlefield during their 2022 fieldwork season.

Bartlett Activities Center | 300 W. Bell Street, Bartlett | April 22, 2023
Recent grant supports restoration of the 1909 Bartlett Grammar School building.

Grant recipients announced for Spring 2023!

Texas Historical Foundation grants presented to the Council for Texas Archeologists, Texas State Historical Association, and Preservation Texas.

Wise County Heritage Museum destroyed by fire, 2023 Star of Texas Event update, Freedman's Town of North Dallas, THF Directors hold Spring board meeting in Fort Worth.

The Wise County Heritage Museum was destroyed in a devastating early-morning fire on Saturday, March 18, 2023. We provide a short history of the museum, and extend our deepest sympathies to the museum staff and Commission for this enormous loss of Texas history.

A look at the history of the Longini-Herrmann House and San Antonio's Hemisfair neighborhood. Hemisfair Conservancy will be presented with their Spring 2023 grant on March 4, 2023 at the Longini-Herrman.

THC relaunches travel heritage website; Honorary THF Director Red McCombs passes away at 95; monuments of the Capitol Historical Artifact Collection in Austin.

Tom Lea Institute, El Paso, to be presented with Spring 2023 grant from the Texas Historical Foundation to pursue further work on the Tom Lea Trail's mobile website and app.

It’s easy to lose oneself for hours in the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Time Travel website. The site is part of THC’s Texas Heritage Trails Program, an initiative that was created in 1998 to highlight historic places across Texas and to promote education about our state history through travel.

Urban Farmstead Museum | 1316 W. 6th Street, Austin | February 7, 2023

Neill-Cochran House Museum to restore last known slave quarters in Austin; Texas HERITAGE to feature Republic of Texas boundary marker in next issue; Winter 2023 round of THF grant recipients announced; THF approves new endowment established by gift from Sharron and Doug Rogers of Grapevine; Board of Directors hold Winter meeting in Rockport.

Eleven grant recipients named for Texas Historical Foundation's Winter 2023 funding cycle. Winners include The Orange Show Foundation, Houston, Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Austin, and Tom Lea Institute, El Paso.

Presentations scheduled for THF grant recipients Los Amigos de la Loma, Del Rio, and Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Austin.

The 1856 Neill-Cochran House in Austin is remarkable for many reasons. Its architectural significance is obvious, but it is also significant for a history that has not been widely told and that Neill-Cochran House Museum Executive Director Rowena Dasch and her staff have been working since 2016 to uncover.

Rockport Railroad Depot | 105 S. Magnolia Street, Rockport | January 20, 2023
Members of the Texas Historical Foundation will present the group's Fall 2022 grant to RCAD in support of restoration of the historic San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad Depot.

Restoration of Bolivar Point Lighthouse moving forward; the architecture of Diedrich Rulfs; Boy Scout earns Eagle Scout rank by leading survey of Houston cemetery; Cavender family featured in Life & Land.

Lone Star Flight Museum | 11511 Aerospace Ave, Houston | January 11, 2023
A presentation of THF's Spring 2022 grant to the Lone Star Flight Museum to take place Wednesday, January 11 on site at the museum.

The future is looking bright for Bolivar Point Lighthouse in Galveston Bay, built in 1872. The structure is in dire need of repairs before the iconic cupola falls and the structure is lost forever. Thankfully, the lighthouse has passionate advocates who are tirelessly working to ensure this never happens and that it is preserved for many generations to come.

1895 City Hall | 140 W Cameron Ave, Rockdale | December 14, 2022
Texas Historical Foundation Director Judy Davis will host a presentation of the organization’s January 2022 grant to Vision Historic Preservation Foundation, Rockdale.

Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Museum | 3817 Wendelkin Street, Dallas | December 10, 2022
Join Texas Historical Foundation staff and board for a presentation of the organization's recent grant to the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Museum in Dallas.

Brenham Heritage Museum opens to the public; Fall 2022 grant recipients announced; former THF President Rosine Wilson passes away; new Duda Center for Preservation established; Dr. Michael Collins honored at THF luncheon; Guadalupe Mountains National Park history featured in next Texas HERITAGE Magazine.

Neill-Cochran House Museum | 2310 San Gabriel St, Austin| December 7, 2022
THF Vice President Debbie Cartwright has organized a presentation for recent grant recipients Neill-Cochran House Museum on Wednesday Dec. 7th at 2 PM.

Rosenberg Railroad Museum | 1921 Avenue F, Rosenberg | December 7, 2022
Grant presentation scheduled for Fall 2022 THF grant recipients Rosenberg Railroad Museum; funds were awarded to support ongoing maintenance of the Museum's collection of antique rail artifacts and the upgrade of their archive.

The Brenham Heritage Museum's grand opening in a decommissioned Classical Revival style post office built in 1915 is set for Thursday, November 17 at 1:00 pm. Earlier this month, Texas HERITAGE Editor Gene Krane toured the museum with BHM Executive Director Mike Vance.

Eleven Texas projects secure funding in the most recent round of Texas Historical Foundation grants.

Nuevo Santander Gallery | 717 N. Main St, McAllen | Nov. 18, 10 a.m.
Presentation date announced for Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas for their grant to fund interpretative signage at Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes.

Emergency archeology; THF Grants Spotlight: Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc; THF board member publishes book about Enid Justin and the Nocona Boot Company; THF Director to lead Braniff Airways Foundation Program; 2023 Star of Texas Gala to honor Cavender Family and their company; artist Tom Lea to be featured in upcoming Texas HERITAGE magazine; Real Places Conference scheduled for February in Austin.

As the earth warms and climate change affects the planet in ways humankind is still discovering, natural disasters have become increasingly frequent and unpredictable. Devastating hurricanes, destructive droughts, and raging wildfires threaten lives and landscapes, creating what some have called a new normal. While saving people and homes is always a priority in these situations, precious historical and cultural resources are often also in harm’s way.

El Paso Museum of History | 510 N. Santa Fe St., El Paso | October 13, 2022
Upcoming grant presentation for Summer 2022 THF grant recipients El Paso Museum of History Foundation to be held Thursday, October 13 in El Paso.

Bassett Farms Visitor Center | 103 N. Narcissus Street, Kosse | October 25, 10 a.m.
Presentation for THF grant recipients Preservation Texas scheduled for October 25 in downtown Kosse, TX.

Get ready to celebrate Texas archeology in October; THF grants spotlight; Blackwell schools reaches historic milestone; SAVE THE DATE: March24, 2023 - Star of Texas Gala Event Planned; Heritage communities focus on immigrant history. Historic preservation takes center stage at upcoming conference - Real Places Conference set for February 1-3, 2023, in Austin.

Seven preservation grants awarded in July; THF board member gains disaster training certification; Little-known part of the Galveston movement story explored; Texas archeologist, Dr. Michael Collins, to be honored at the October event.

Hugh Edmondson’s family are ranchers in Ballinger, outside of San Angelo. A simple discovery began a journey by Edmondson that would eventually lead him to assemble what is now a collection of spurs that includes examples covering a span of 120 years. There are collectors who simply want to own artifacts, and there are others who seek to know about the history of the items they have assembled. Edmondson falls into the latter category.

Seven preservation groups in Texas are winners of the latest round of grants from the Texas Historical Foundation. Learn more about the Summer 2022 recipients.

Historic Home of Dr. James Dickey Destroyed, THF Directors Advocate for Dickey House Project, Architect Nicholas Clayton Left His Mark on Texas.

Letter from New THF Executive Director David Preziosi, Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center Receive Their Fifth THF Grant, Texas Archeologist Dr. Michael Collins to be Honored for his Work at the Gault Archeological Site

Even though her career as a news reporter and producer required Olive Talley to stay on top of major news in Texas and the Southwest, she had never heard of the Gault archeological site—located only 160 miles from her Dallas home—when she traveled to Antarctica on a 2017 National Geographic expedition. Talley discovered that as archeologists were uncovering artifacts from the Central Texas site, they were also exposing new theories about the settlement of the New World...

THF names as its new Executive Director, David Preziosi, a 25-year veteran in the field of historic preservation. Preziosi joins THF from Preservation Dallas, where during his tenure as Executive Director he was responsible for preservation, education, and outreach in service of protecting Dallas' historic landmarks.

In recognition of his outstanding four decades-long leadership and service to Texas history organizations, Marshall J. Doke, Jr., a retired Dallas attorney, was named this year’s winner of the Ruth Lester Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Historical Commission.

Texas Historical Foundation May Newsletter: South Texas Receives THF Grant Love, What is a Pysanka Egg?, Marshall Doke Wins Statewide Award, Saving Austin’s Treaty Oak: A Labor of Love.

Austin’s Treaty Oak is a tree, but it’s also a story. It’s the kind of tale that’s recounted in children’s plays, like Austin’s version of the first Thanksgiving.

Endowment Assists Small Town Preservationists, Bernie Sargent Leaves Big Boots to Fill in El Paso, Special Issues of Texas HERITAGE Uploaded to Website, Travis' Letter From The Alamo Makes Rare Public Appearance, Lipan Burial Site Threatened.

The latest issue of the Texas Historical Foundation’s award-winning Texas HERITAGE magazine featured stories from the state’s borderlands, including articles about Petra Vela Kenedy and another on the return of an ancestral burial place in Presidio to members of the Lipan ApacheTribe. For those interested in the Texas borderlands, here’s another resource to explore. 

Search for New THF Executive Director Underway, Rockdale Restoration Wins THF Grant, Women’s History Month, Clara Tarpley, THF Around the State, Website Blog-Part II, La Villita

While La Villita is often described as San Antonio’s first neighborhood, it is more appropriately described as San Antonio’s first suburb.

Twelve (Yes, Twelve!) Grant Awards Given in January! A dozen preservation groups in Texas received approval in the latest round of grants from the Texas Historical Foundation.

A dozen preservation groups in Texas are winners of the latest round of grants from the Texas Historical Foundation.

For many years, San Antonio has been known for its casual blending of cultures. Writers in the 19th century often mentioned the mixture of languages and skin colors when describing the people of San Antonio, an unexpectedly quirky place on the western frontier. But the city did not always have a blended character.

The Texas Historical Foundation sends good wishes to all our supporters for a wonderful 2022….and thanks those who gave so generously to the organization’s year-end campaign. Donations help THF carry on its mission of preserving the Lone Star past.