Staff Reports
Preservation Texas has announced that Preliminary Applications are being accepted for their new Texas Rural African-American Heritage Grants Program. The program will provide matching grants of up to $75,000 to support the stabilization, preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of at least ten rural African-American historic buildings in Texas that had institutional or commercial uses.
Preliminary Applications are due on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Applications must be submitted online. Follow this link for instructions and the application form.
Mary Allen Seminary in Crockett (Houston County), on the 2014 Preservation Texas Most Endangered Places list, is an example of a neglected rural African-American landmark associated with Reconstruction-era education.The Texas Rural African-American Heritage Grants Program has been made possible by a $750,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant to Preservation Texas from the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS program is designed to support the rehabilitation of historic properties that will encourage economic development in rural communities.
Sabine Farms, a site on the 2004 Most Endangered Places list, was built during the Depression in rural Harrison County to support Black farmers. Its surviving historic log structures are in disrepair.The Preservation Texas grant program will focus on preservation of rural African-American buildings that had historic institutional or community commercial uses such as schools, churches, lodge halls, and theaters.
“One of the desired outcomes of the program is to support rural economic development through historic preservation,” said Thompson. “These projects will also reinforce the significance of rural African-American history in Texas while nurturing rural heritage tourism, ensuring that important historic landmarks are protected for generations to come that can serve as outstanding examples of preservation.”
The Ethiopian Star Lodge in Dabney Hill (Burleson County) has been neglected for decades. It is an example of an early 20th century rural African-American lodge hall that can be reborn through preservation as a community gathering place.The new grants program builds on Preservation Texas’s Most Endangered Places program, established in 2004, which has brought needed publicity and technical support for imperiled buildings.
“We have found that in recent years, rural African-American heritage sites, such as schools, lodges, and churches, are most desperately in need of financial support and have been largely left neglected by traditional preservation programs,” said Thompson. “We want to be able to deliver the financial resources needed to save these imperiled places in rural Texas.”
Webb Chapel in rural Limestone County is one of dozens of iconic rural African-American churches that would be eligible to apply for funding.Preservation Texas is a private, member-supported nonprofit organization. They have declined to use any of the NPS grant funds for this program for administrative overhead. Preservation Texas relies on members to support the programs they offer, to ensure that all $750,000 is being directly used to rebuild endangered rural African-American historic places. More information on becoming a member can be found here.
The San Marcos City Council received a presentation on the Sidewalk Maintenance and Gap Infill…
The San Marcos River Rollers have skated through obstacles after taking a two-year break during…
San Marcos Corridor News has been reporting on the incredible communities in the Hays County…
Visitors won't be able to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Jacobs Well Natural…
Looking to adopt or foster animals from the local shelter? Here are the San Marcos…
The Lone Star State leads the nation in labor-related accidents and especially workplace deaths and…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Why is preserving black and white structures in Texas of such significant?
People of Mexican decent were here first before any BLACK OR WHITE people and I don't see the Preservation Society trying their dangdest to save our buildings.
Can some from the Society please reply.
Preservation Texas is a state-wide nonprofit (501c3). While you can become a member, it is not a "society." This grant from the National Park Service focused on "rural" African American history, so you should probably contact that federal agency to ask why they chose such an under-represented people in the documentation of our history. You might also look at the Preservation Texas website to see what other projects they have been involved in - such as https://www.preservationtexas.org/endangered/segundo/
I regret that you are so angry over the efforts of an organization to preserve our history. You might consider getting involved yourself to preserve the Mexican history of San Marcos and Hays County, rather than just blaming others. You may want to look into joining the Hays County Council for the Indigenous and Tejano Community. I'm certain they would welcome your participation.
PS - I am a member of Preservation Texas and a former board member. But my comments reflect only my own opinion, and not that of Preservation Texas.
Abel,
Pray tell, what efforts have you made to preserve Hispanic Heritage buildings, sites and culture? Just always curious about people that throw stones in glass houses.
The church was not built by blacks, nor was its original congregation black.
What is THE significance here---WHAT? (oh, that black people later occupied it ?? ).
oops . . . same facts describe the Calaboose, a jail for people of all colors originally built by the "racist" white government of San Marcos back in 1885, as was was later converted into a USO for blacks in the 1940's.
Mind you, all of this squabbling while neither Abel, nor anyone else here explains how the value of a building may be weighed simply by skin color factors which somehow makes it significant--that is, significant for any purpose other than pure RACISM. Losers and whiners let's hear it . . . waaah !!!!!!
Abel, is that what you really mean? Or do you just wanna be king of the color hill?
Sorry, but that building should not be preserved. It needs to be torn down before it catches fire and takes half of downtown with it. Please feel free to rebuild. But it needs to be a NEW build. I'll give $1000 when that happens.