News Briefs for August 2011

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LEGISLATURE PROVIDES FUNDING FOR FUTURE ROUNDS OF THE TEXAS HISTORIC COURTHOUSE PRESERVATION PROGRAM

AUSTIN, Texas—Beginning this month, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) will be accepting applications for Round VII of its award-winning Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. The continuation of the popular program is made possible by $20 million in bond funding provided by the recently adjourned 82nd Texas Legislature. With more historic county courthouses than any other state, Texas has been instrumental in preserving remarkable structures designed by notable architects such as J. Riely Gordon and Alfred Giles.

The THC’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program was announced in June 1999 and provides partial matching grants to Texas counties for the restoration of their historic county courthouses. Since its inception, the program has awarded $227 million to counties, and local governments have matched this with more than $150 million. Courthouse restorations have generated more than 8,579 jobs throughout Texas and more than $19 million in local taxes.

The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program’s accomplishments have garnered national and international attention, with honors from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Texas Society of Architects. In 2008, the program was recognized with a Presidential Award from the White House.

For more information regarding the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, contact the THC’s Architecture Division at 512.463.6094, or visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

THC WEBSITE FEATURES SCIENCE OF ARCHEOLOGY IN SEARCH FOR TEXAS RANGER’S RESTING PLACE

AUSTIN, Texas—The Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) website currently features a video documenting recent archeological work conducted at the presumed grave of Texas Ranger James Coryell. The excavation took place in February 2011 in Falls County and follows a step-by-step process as THC staff, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, delicately unearthed the site revealing skeletal remains and other forensic evidence. The remains were taken to a laboratory in Pennsylvania where sophisticated technology was used in the hopes of retrieving a DNA sample. However, after locating a female relative in Missouri to test for a possible DNA match, it was determined that the remains were too deteriorated to retrieve a sample at present. Additional tests are underway that may further assist in learning more about the remains.

Coryell was a hero during Texas’ struggle for independence and served as a Ranger based out of Fort Milam in the Robertson Colony in what is today Falls County. Historical records show that Coryell was injured in an Indian attack, later dying at a nearby homestead where he was being nursed. His grave was lost to history after his death in 1837 until it was thought to be discovered a little over a year ago by THC Commissioner John Crain while clearing brush for a new fence in Bull Hill Cemetery, maintained by the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas. Historical records and oral histories about the grave of James Coryell describe an unusual pile of rocks near the African American cemetery outside Marlin. The Summerlee Foundation contributed to the excavation activity.

To view the video of the Coryell site excavation visit the THC’s website at www.thc.state.tx.us. For additional information on the THC’s archeological work, contact the Archeology Division at 512.463.6096.

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION WELCOMES NEW COMMISSIONERS

AUSTIN, Texas—The Texas Historical Commission (THC) welcomes four new commissioners whose expertise and accomplishments have helped to preserve the real places that tell the real stories of Texas history. Representing communities across the state, the new commissioners were appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to terms that will expire in February 2017.

Matthew Kreisle of Austin is managing partner of the Austin office of PageSoutherlandPage—a 113-year-old international architecture and engineering design firm founded in Austin in 1898. Kreisle served two terms as president of the Heritage Society of Austin where he initiated and led the Heritage Austin Program, for which he was recognized with the Katherine Drake Hart History Preservation Award through the Austin History Center Association.

Owner and operator of the Perini Ranch Steakhouse near Abilene, Tom Perini of Buffalo Gap grew up surrounded by historians and serves on the board of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, the Fort Chadbourne Foundation of Bronte, and various other committees of the Buffalo Gap City Council, including Planning and Zoning.

Representing Burleson County, Judy Williams Richardson is currently president of the Burleson County Historical Society and a member of the Burleson County Historical Commission. As the fifth-generation person living on her family land, she has had numerous opportunities to be instrumental in the preservation of history, including contributing to the writing of “Astride the Old San Antonio Trail,” a history of early Burleson County and its families.

Daisy Sloan White of Houston has more than 40 years of experience in fundraising, development, communications, and planning. She has organized and executed many large local and national productions. Events have included multi-day Presidential Inauguration events, Super Bowl, Major League Baseball World Series, corporate and nonprofit events, large and small.

The new appointees replace outgoing commissioners Diane Bumpas of Dallas, Donna Carter of Austin, Sarita Hixon of Armstrong, and Marcus Watson of Plano. For more information on THC commissioners, visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

LEARN HOW TO SECURE FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION WORKSHOPS

AUSTIN, Texas—The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is sponsoring two upcoming workshops as a component of the 2011 Development Seminar Series. Development 101: Understanding How to Secure Financial Resources for Your Nonprofit on August 31 and Texas Grant Writing Workshop: Understanding Special Project Funding on September 1 provide valuable information to volunteers and staff interested in learning more about securing financial support for their organization. The workshops are $225 each, or $425 for both days, and will be held at the THC’s historic Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 1510 N. Congress Ave. in Austin. Each workshop is limited to 20 registrants.

With almost three decades of experience coaching participants on effective fundraising techniques, grantsmanship, and strategies for planning organizational funding efforts, the THC’s Development Seminar Series serves as a resource for groups including historic preservation organizations, museums, and County Historical Commissions. Development 101 will introduce participants to the development process necessary to fulfill their organization’s mission by utilizing tools including types of gifts, fundraising activities, cultivating relationships, and stewardship. The Texas Grant Writing Workshop provides an overview to help improve an organization’s chances of securing funding by addressing topics from identifying potential funders to preparing a budget to tips on writing a successful proposal.

To learn more about the two upcoming workshops, contact Development Specialist Karen Knox at 512.936.2189. To register visit www.thc.state.tx.us and select Seminar Series located below the Friends of the THC tab.