City Awarded National Park Service Grant to Fund Nominations to National Register of Historic Places

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – The City of San Marcos has been awarded a $30,000 grant through the Underrepresented Community Grant Program. The grant is funded by the Historic Preservation Fund and administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. 

The Underrepresented Community Grant Program works toward diversifying the nominations submitted to the National Register of Historic Places. Projects include surveys and inventories of historic properties associated with communities underrepresented in the National Register, as well as the development of nominations to the National Register for specific sites.

The City has identified three City-owned historic properties that would benefit from being listed on the National Register of Historic Places including:  

• The Calaboose African American Museum building, 200 West MLK Drive
• The Ulysses Cephas House, 217 West MLK Drive
• The Dunbar School Home Economics Building, 801 West MLK Drive 

All three of the buildings were included in “My Historic SMTX,” the reconnaissance-level historic resources survey completed and approved in 2019. The buildings were evaluated with high preservation priorities and were recommended for local landmark designation and/or listing in the National Register of Historical Places.  The buildings have significant historical and cultural associations with the local African American community, and it is important for all citizens to see multicultural representation in San Marcos’ history. As such, inclusion of these three historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places will further diversify the Register and strengthen preservation efforts within San Marcos. Funding will provide for consultant services to steward the nomination process, which will include intensive-level surveys for the three historically significant buildings. 

For more information, contact Alison Brake, Historic Preservation Officer, 512.393.8232, abrake@sanmarcostx.gov.