PRESERVATION MONTH ACTIVITIES IN TEXAS

March 2013 Main Street Matters

May is National Preservation Month and is a time to celebrate historic places in your city and to educate the local community about the importance of preservation.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a variety of activities listed on their website www.preservationnation.org/take-action/preservation-month  as well as a sample preservation proclamation at www.preservationnation.org/take-action/preservation-month/proclamation.html. 

Following are just a few of the many Preservation Month or preservation education activities from Texas Main Street cities in 2012:

Amarillo

Center City of Amarillo partnered with the Amarillo High School Reunion Classes and gave a $10,000 grant for a historical marker that was placed at the site of the original Amarillo Schools on Polk Street. The marker shows the history of the Little Red School House, the Elizabeth Nixson Junior High and the Amarillo High School, which burned in 1970. More than 250 people attended the dedication and ceremony. The ceremony was publicized on radio, television and newspaper. Partnerships included Amarillo College, Amarillo High Reunion Classes, the Amarillo Senior Citizens Association (which occupies the remaining High School structure) and the city of Amarillo.

Historical marker dedication of the historic Polk Street Schools served as preservation project for Center City of Amarillo. 

Center City also partnered with the art students from Holy Cross Catholic High School to publish a calendar with historic photos paired with original artwork from the students inspired by the historic photos. This calendar was sold by students and by Center City for $15 or 2/$25 as a fundraiser. The 18-month calendar was intended to be a keepsake for nostalgic collectors. 

Bastrop

In May, 2012, an Austin ISD elementary school brought 7 third-grade classes to Bastrop on a field trip. The groups heard from a re-enactor at the historic Kerr Center about Josiah Wilbarger and his scalping; heard a presentation at the historic Bastrop Opera House given by the Bastrop Main Street Program (BMSP) Director about how communities formed and learned about elements of building architecture; took a walk along Main Street with BMSP volunteers to find architectural building details pictured on a scavenger hunt page called Finders Keepers”; visited the historic 1889 bank building which houses the Bastrop Visitor Center; had an escorted tour of the old Bastrop jail building, cir.1890; and finished the trip with lunch on the County Courthouse lawn. The event was so successful that it has been added to the Austin ISD curriculum for May 2013.

Canyon

The Lunch and Learn fundraiser for Main Street was held in the restored Palace Hotel in downtown. The fundraiser was held on two dates seating 30 people at each event. Janice Cranmer, a local historian and Main Street volunteer, captivated the audience with her amazing stories about Canyon pre-1930s. Both dates were a sold out! It was very well received by the community.

Kilgore

Kilgore Main Street sponsored a public showing of the two historic theaters, the Crim and the Texan, in downtown in conjunction with a political candidate forum hosted by the Kilgore News Herald. The two theaters were opened two hours prior to the forum. The public was invited to both theaters to reminisce and to vote on what they thought each theater should become. A voting box was provided at each theater along with its history and photos and ideas of what theaters could be. Popular consensus has it that one theater should be repurposed as a country dance hall with the other a performing arts center.

Palestine

In March 2012, Main Street sponsored a Rich History and Living Secrets historic building tour. A behind-the-sales-counter tour was offered of five historic properties. Property owners and volunteers led small groups through the properties and used the time to highlight Main Street as a cultural and historic resource. Then in May, Main Street partnered to host a Love Your Old Building half-day workshop. Sessions were 30-45 minutes long and focused on topics affecting owners of historic properties. Main Street partnered with Development Services, the Historic Landmark Commission and three local historic renovation specialists to provide programming.

​Uvalde

Uvalde Main Street Program’s design committee hosted a workshop for downtown building and business owners titled “Sign Chat” regarding the ordinances regulating sign type, size and placement as per the Main Street district’s Design Standards.