Marshall's Mystique
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Preservation News TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION May/June 2011 THE MEDALLIONMEDALLION Marshall’s Mystique Railroad, African American Legacies Shape Northeast Texas City’s Heritage Sustainability Plays a Role in Historic Courthouse Preservation n Brownsville a Hotbed for Heritage Tourism PRESERVation NEWS THC Honors Book THC Announces Annual Award Winners Preservation Award Winners The T.R. Fehrenbach Book Award was presented to three Each year, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) presents prestigious awards to noteworthy authors at the THC’s notable individuals and organizations to emphasize outstanding contributions to annual conference. preserving Texas’ historic resources. The following people were recently honored at the 2011 Annual Historic Preservation Conference in Austin: William S. Clayson’s book ■ The Ruth Lester Lifetime has organized historical tours and Freedom is Not Achievement Award was presented helped to develop a heritage tourism Enough focuses to Jean Ann Ables-Flatt of Terrell. A project centered on the Butterfield on Texas in former THC commissioner, Ables- Overland Trail. the 1960s and Flatt also served for eight years as chair examines how of the Kaufman County Historical ■ The Award of Excellence President Lyndon Commission and is immediate past in Preserving History was presented Johnson’s War president of the Hiram Bennett to two recipients. Rudi Rodriguez on Poverty manifested itself in a Chapter of the Daughters of the of San Antonio has extensively state marked by racial division, Republic of Texas. researched Tejano history on diversity, and endemic poverty. www.TexasTejano.com, authored ■ The Curtis D. Tunnell Lifetime several books, and helped organize the Achievement Award in Archeology Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas. David was presented to Teddy Lou Stickney The Baylor Institute of Oral History Montejano’s of Midland. Stickney has been a provided training and outreach at Quixote’s Soldiers prominent avocational archeologist 24 statewide oral history workshops addresses the since she joined the Texas Archeological involving the THC’s Texas in World interaction Society in 1965. She helped launch War II initiative. among members what is now known as Texas Archeology of different social Month and is renowned for her work ■ The Award of Excellence in Media backgrounds in recording the state’s rock art. Achievement was presented to “The San Antonio’s Chicano community Shape of Texas,” a radio program during the turbulent and politically ■ The George Christian Outstanding produced by South Texas Public creative years of the late 1960s and Volunteer of the Year Award was Broadcasting that has aired more early 1970s. presented to Randy Riepe and Pastor than 520 episodes on Texas history Robert Robertson for their efforts in and architecture on 13 stations protecting and preserving the 1896 throughout Texas. Jaqueline M. College Memorial Park Cemetery, one Moore’s Cow of Houston’s largest historic African ■ The Award of Excellence in Boys and Cattle American cemeteries. Historic Architecture was presented to Men delves into Clayton&Little Architects of Austin. the new truths ■ The John L. Nau, III Award of One of the firm’s recent high-profile of the Old West Excellence in Museums was presented projects was restoring the Byrne-Reed by casting aside to San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts House in Austin, which serves as the romantic images Director Howard Taylor. The award headquarters for Humanities Texas. of cowboys through an analysis of recognizes Taylor’s 26 years of work the class, gender, and labor histories to preserve historic buildings, educate ■ The John Ben Shepperd of ranching in Texas during the and involve the community, and offer County Historical Commission second half of the 19th century. beneficial exhibits. Leadership Award was presented to Doug Braudaway of Del Rio. ■ The Anice B. Read Award of Braudaway has worked extensively Excellence in Community Heritage to document, preserve, and promote Development was presented to Robert local heritage for the Val Verde Montgomery of Denton. Montgomery County Historical Commission. H TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION www.thc.state.tx.us 2 PRESERVation PROFILE Challenging History THC Keynote Speaker Promotes Undertold Heritage with Slave Cabin Project Joseph McGill, Jr., sleeps in slave happy part of the story, while the parts plantations and the history each cabins. It is not a comfortable that are shameful or less significant property holds. experience (physically or emotionally), become footnotes,” McGill said in These owners, like McGill, but he believes that in life, his keynote speech. “I recognize that without these structures, greater challenges bring decided to use all my the stories of enslaved African greater rewards. pent-up energy about this Americans are inevitably threatened McGill works as a not to complain, but to with dismissal or are forgotten. program officer with the do something. I became McGill’s visit to Texas brought home National Trust for Historic the voice of these for- the rarity of this building type within JPreservation’s Southern gotten buildings.” the statewide inventory of cultural and Field Office in Charleston, In anticipation of historic resources. South Carolina. Like many McGill’s arrival, THC staff “With this in mind, our challenge preservationists, his searched for standing is to find these important places free time is spent as an slave quarters in Texas and to accurately and eloquently tell advocate, heritage traveler, and to contribute to the collection of his these important stories,” says Bratten history junkie. experiences. Ravaged by weather and Thomason, director of the THC’s During the National Trust’s neglect, it appeared most of the slave History Programs Division. “The October 2010 conference in Austin, cabins on Texas plantations had been reward is establishing a connection to Texas Historical Commission (THC) demolished over time. However, two history that elevates our self-worth and staff attended McGill’s session about sites were identified and selected for respect for others.” his Slave Cabin Project. McGill has McGill’s March 2011 visit. For more information on McGill’s been sleeping in slave cabins in Days before his conference Slave Cabin Project and his experience South Carolina and Alabama to draw keynote address, McGill slept in two in Texas, visit the Statewide attention to these seldom-preserved significant examples of slave cabins Preservation Plan for Texas online at structures. During his site visits, in Texas––the Egypt Plantation in www.preservationconnection.com. This he engages host communities in Wharton County and the Seward website can also be used as a resource broader discussions about heritage, Plantation in Washington County. Both for sharing information about existing preservation, and culture, and what it plantations are owned and cared for by structures in Texas still tied to slavery. H means to save the real places that tell descendants of the original plantation the real stories. families. Hank and Peggy Ward, This article was written by Amy Hammons and McGill’s passion for connecting owners of the Seward Plantation, and Tracey Silverman, program committee co-chairs with history, experiencing the power Bud Northington, owner of the Egypt for the THC’s 2011 annual conference. of place, and sharing those stories Plantation, are deeply committed with a broader audience resonated to preserving their respective with the attendees’ collective preservation mission. As a result, he was asked to serve as keynote speaker for the THC’s 2011 Annual Historic Preservation Conference THC annual conference keynote in April. In addition to featuring the speaker Joseph important work associated with McGill spent the Slave Cabin Project, THC staff the night in determined it would be an opportunity this cabin on the Egypt Plantation for preservationists to discuss being northwest of more inclusive when telling their Houston as stories and preserving their resources. part of his Slave “Part of the problem, is that Cabin Project. we’ve been teaching people to tell the May/June 2011 TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 3 PROGRAM FOCUS Conservation, Courthouses, Communities Sustainability Plays a Role in Historic Courthouse Preservation Courthouse sustainability—an These systems, also called ground heating and cooling units or system oxymoron? How can old buildings so source heat pumps, use the earth’s controls, add “ductless” heating and steeped in the traditions and trappings constant temperature to heat air in cooling in place of window units, and of Western culture possibly adapt to winter and cool it in summer by re-roof with lighter-colored, reflective cutting-edge technology designed to circulating refrigerant through piping “cool” roofing. save the Earth’s resources? below ground. While the installation A few counties also made plans Some would argue we must throw cost can be somewhat higher than to add solar photovoltaic panels or the baby out with the bath-water by other types of systems, they are vegetated roofing to flat roofs behind sacrificing these community landmarks typically 40 percent more efficient parapets, out of view from street level. Cto reach our goals of a sustainable than many conventional systems, with Federal allotments and grants ranged future. Yet each completed restoration an expected longer lifespan. Since all from $23,000 in rural counties to more project throughout Texas proves exterior equipment is typically buried, than $500,000 in urban counties. otherwise