Beginning in 1999, the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and its local partners have made significant financial investments to restore many valuable historic courthouses throughout the state.

In order to protect and preserve these buildings for future generations, the Texas Courthouse Stewardship Program was created in 2005 to assist counties by fostering facility planning, budgeting and training. The goal is to prevent the facilities from returning to a state of deferred maintenance and disrepair.

Program Activities

Site visits and easement monitoring — Our professional staff will visit each completed project to identify and assist in resolving any problems, monitor the level of ongoing maintenance and to discuss future preventative maintenance needs with county officials and facility maintenance managers. Renewal of property insurance policies is an aspect of the easement monitoring work that ensures the building’s value is protected.

Training workshops — The Texas Historical Commission(THC) hosts and organizes maintenance and stewardship training workshops for county officials and staff. Since March 2007, the Texas Land Title Association has sponsored an annual Texas Courthouse Stewardship Workshop for counties that have completed restoration projects, or are in the process of doing so. The next Courthouse Stewardship Workshop is scheduled for May 19-20, 2011 in Austin. Counties that have received full restoration funding through the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) are eligible to participate. For more information, call 512.463.6094.

Maintenance Planning — Counties are encouraged to develop a cyclical maintenance plan for immediate and long-term care of their historic buildings and sites.  A complete plan should include inspection schedules, recommendations for appropriate materials and procedures, as well as projected budgets for the prescribed work. The THC will provide guidance by offering technical preservation resources, cyclical and preventive maintenance checklists, sample templates for schedules, budget formats, and inspection forms. 

Technical Consultations — The THC architectural staff is available for consultations to help counties address their pending issues in a manner that best preserves the historic integrity of the building.

Stewardship Workshop Agenda April 2010 (pdf)

Stewardship Participants April 2010 (pdf)

Stewardship Workshop Agenda April 2009 (pdf)

Stewardship Participants April 2009 (pdf)

Stewardship Workshop Agenda April 2008 (pdf)

Stewardship Participants April 2008 (pdf)

Stewardship Program News Brief March 2008

Stewardship Program Press Release December 2007

Stewardship Workshop Agenda March 2007 (pdf)

Stewardship Workshop Participants March 2007 (pdf)

The Medallion November/December 2006 article (pdf)