Preservation Texas

06/23/2026

Mark your calendar for the first annual College Hill Festival at the Preservation Texas Institute in Tehuacana on Saturday, October 10! This free event will feature activities for all ages, including live heritage trades demonstrations, a rummage sale, exhibits, food trucks, raffle prizes, an outdoor concert, and more.

Spend the day exploring our historic campus, originally established in 1869 as the home of Trinity University, and learn about our one-of-a-kind vision for the future Preservation Texas Institute.

Visit savetexashall.org/festival to learn more!

06/22/2026

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/advocates-call-to-preserve-barton-springs-bridge-amid-possible-replacement/

As the Barton Springs Bridge marks its 100th anniversary, community members and advocacy groups are calling on city leaders to reconsider plans to potentially replace the historic structure.

06/17/2026

Join us in New Braunfels on Thursday, August 13, for a summit exploring the challenges, opportunities, and best practices involved in moving historic buildings. Through a series of recent Central Texas case studies, speakers will examine the historical context of building relocations and share lessons learned from successful preservation efforts. The program will cover the policy, advocacy, planning, and logistics involved in these complex projects.

The Summit will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the New Braunfels Conservation Society’s Historic Old Town, a 3.5-acre heritage village featuring 18 relocated nineteenth-century German-Texan structures. During the lunch break, attendees will have the opportunity to tour several of the site’s historic buildings. Lunch is included with registration.

In-person registration is $40 for Preservation Texas members or $50 for non-members. A virtual attendance option is also available. In-person registration is limited to 50 attendees. Visit preservationtexas.org/ctxsummit26 to learn more and register while spots remain!

Pictured📸: 1849 Spiva-Welsch Barn in New Braunfels being moved to the New Braunfels Conservation Society’s Historic Old Town plaza in 1972.

06/16/2026

Preservation Texas is accepting applications for our Historic Rural Log Building Grant Program, funded by a $750,000 grant from the National Park Service. Through this program, we will award $50,000 to $150,000 in matching grants to five to seven preservation projects involving historic log buildings across the state.

Eligible properties must be located in rural Texas communities with populations under 50,000 and be listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Grants require a 25% cash match and will be awarded on a reimbursement basis. Nonprofits, government entities, and private property owners are all eligible to apply!

Learn more and apply at preservationtexas.org/grants

06/15/2026

After plans to demolish the 1887 Tiner Hendrick House in Sutherland Springs were made known, local preservationists came together to save the historic building. Following its inclusion on Preservation Texas’s 2025 MEP list, the Friends of the Tiner Hendrick House led an advocacy and fundraising effort that resulted in the home’s successful relocation earlier this month!

The Friends group hired Fowler House Movers to divide the structure into five sections and carefully transport it 3.5 miles north to its new site near the Polley Mansion – an 1847 sandstone house that was included on our 2016 MEP list and has since been restored.

At its new location, the Tiner Hendrick House will be restored, interpreted, and eventually serve as the home of a historian-in-residence program that complements the programs of Polley Mansion. To learn more or make a donation, visit friendsofthetinerhouse.blogspot.com

06/12/2026

2026 Most Endangered Places List Spotlight: Simon Peter Hawkins House

The Hawkins House is a rare surviving example of early settlement-era construction in Wichita County. Located in Burkburnett, the house was built around 1883 using box construction, a distinctive and efficient frontier-era building method. Hawkins was a prominent early Wichita County settler who served as a mail carrier and civic organizer.

Now owned by the Burkburnett Historical Society, the Hawkins House remains on its original site but is confined to a small parcel surrounded by industrial development. Although restored in the late 1990s and once featured on local historic tours, public access and community engagement have declined significantly in recent years.

To ensure its long-term preservation, the Society hopes to relocate the house to their downtown museum property, where it can be more effectively interpreted and shared with the public.

06/11/2026

2026 Most Endangered Places List Spotlight: Barton Springs Bridge

Located in Austin’s Zilker Park, the Barton Springs Bridge was constructed in 1926 as an open-spandrel reinforced-concrete arch bridge designed by Texas engineer Terrell Bartlett. It is a contributing feature to the Zilker Park National Register Historic District, and has become a defining part of Austin’s cultural landscape.

Still in active use and retaining a high degree of historic integrity, the bridge faces an uncertain future as the City of Austin advances plans for replacement. Local preservation advocates are calling for a reevaluation of rehabilitation options to protect this iconic landmark and ensure it remains part of Austin’s future.

06/10/2026

2026 Most Endangered Places List Spotlight: Old English Field Terminal

Located along historic Route 66, Amarillo’s English Field airport was originally dedicated in 1929. The streamline moderne-style Old English Field terminal opened in 1946. Airlines including TWA, Braniff, American, and Continental once operated from the terminal, which remained in use until 1972.

Earlier this year, Amarillo City Council voted to abate and demolish the structure. The demolition has also been approved by the Texas Historical Commission, which felt that the building lacks historic integrity and is not eligible for the National Register.

Preservation Texas stands with local advocates calling for a pause to demolition and a thoughtful evaluation of preservation alternatives. As Route 66 celebrates its centennial year, now is the time to explore creative adaptive reuse solutions to save this unique piece of Texas history.

06/09/2026

2026 Most Endangered Places List Spotlight: Stone Fort Museum

Located on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, the Stone Fort Museum was constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial as a replica of an eighteenth-century stone structure associated with Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, founder of Nacogdoches. For nearly a century, it has served as a center for public history, education, and heritage tourism.

Today, this landmark faces an uncertain future. The university has proposed transferring the building and its collections to the City of Nacogdoches, but no clear relocation plan has been established. Given the building’s age and significance, moving it could prove both difficult and costly.

In response, local advocates have formed the Save Our Stone Fort Alliance, calling for the museum to remain in its historic location and continue serving future generations.

06/08/2026

2026 Most Endangered Places Spotlight: Garden Oaks Theater

Opened in 1947, Houston’s Garden Oaks Theater served for decades as a neighborhood movie house and community gathering place. One of the few surviving neighborhood theaters of its kind in the region, it remains an important cultural landmark.

After the property changed hands in 2025, demolition plans sparked a strong community response. Thousands have signed petitions and voiced support for preserving the historic building.

Now, Arthouse Houston has signed a contract to purchase the property and transform the theater into a vibrant Cultural Arts and Film Center. To close the sale and prevent imminent demolition, the organization urgently needs donor support and major pledges.

Visit arthousehtx.org to learn more and donate.